I am sure that this man deserves recognition for his pro-life efforts, but I cannot help but wonder is Notre Dame just tried to put lipstick on the pig it birthed last year with the invitation of President Obama.

Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Secretariat for Pro Life Activities, will receive the University of Notre Dame Fund to Protect Human Life Evangelium Vitae Medal.

According to David Solomon, chair of the fund’s governing committee and William P. and Hazel B. White Director of the Center for Ethics and Culture, “the fund is establishing the annual Notre Dame Evangelium Vitae Medal to honor individuals whose outstanding efforts have served to proclaim the Gospel of Life by steadfastly affirming and defending the sanctity of human life from its earliest stages. Richard Doerflinger’s unwavering commitment and heroic witness to life on Capitol Hill and beyond make him the perfect first recipient.”

The Notre Dame Evangelium Vitae Medal, which is announced annually on Respect Life Sunday, the first Sunday of October, consists of a specially commissioned medal and $10,000 prize, to be presented at a spring banquet….

So a year after it took a hit to its pro-life credentials for inviting AND HONORING the most virulent pro-abortion president ever, Notre Dame establishes a pro-life award. Convenient.

The Notre Dame Fund to Protect Human Life is an expendable fund at the University of Notre Dame dedicated to educating Notre Dame students regarding the dignity of human life, specifically at its beginning stages, and to encouraging relevant understanding, support and involvement among the entire Notre Dame community on beginning of life issues.

I am sorry but I fear this may be mostly a PR move.

There is one way the selection committee could prove me wrong. Give it to one of the twenty-two pro-life demonstators arrested at the request of Notre Dame last year. Give it to that elderly priest they dragged off to jail. Then I will believe it is not a PR move.

Until then, a pig with lipstick is still just as ugly.