The Faculty Senate of Notre Dame inexplicably and horrifyingly voted down a resolution of support for either Father Jenkins’s participation in the March for Life or the recommendations of his Task Force on Supporting the Choice for Life, according to published reports.

They couldn’t even support the choice for life? Mind you, this was not a controversial or radically pro-life statement sent to the Faculty Senate for their up and down vote.

The Irish Rover reports:

The proposed resolution states, “The Faculty Senate affirms again Fr. Jenkins’ witness to the University of Notre Dame’s commitments both to intellectual inquiry and debate and to the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of human life; and by this resolution wishes to commend the ongoing public witness of Fr. Jenkins, his Task Force on Supporting the Choice for Life, the Coordinator of University Life Issues, and most especially Notre Dame students, to a culture of life.”

The resolution also asserts that it respects the “freedom of conscience of individual University faculty (and Faculty Senate) members who may disagree in whole or in part” with the Task Force. In addition to encouraging the university to implement the suggestions of the Task Force, the resolution “urges both the Coordinator for University Life Issues and the University administration itself to strive in all their programs and policies to be faithful to the full spectrum of Catholic Social Teaching.”

This tepid statement that even said it respected “freedom of conscience” was trounced 22-8 by faculty representatives so wedded to the destruction of life that they can’t stand considering the alternative of life.

Mind you, the Faculty Senate endorsed Obama being honored at Notre Dame.

Father Wilson Miscamble, C.S.C., the President of the Notre Dame Chapter of Faculty for Life, was quoted as saying:

The vote is a serious disappointment and hopefully does not reflect the views of the faculty as a whole. That the faculty senate failed to approve a modest resolution affirming Fr. John Jenkins’s witness to the sanctity of life is very sad indeed and reflects poorly on the faculty senate.

I think it reflects poorly on the entire school, doesn’t it?

While there are many wonderful things which occur at Notre Dame, how long can we say that it’s only the President or it’s only the Faculty Senate or it’s only this or that.

Project Sycamore suggests:

The radical shrinking of a Catholic faculty presence has obvious consequences for life issues, since non-practicing Catholics are far more likely to be pro-choice than the general population while practicing Catholics are far more likely to be pro-life.

Is it any wonder, then, that, as we have reported, a recent survey showed that the proportion of pro-choice students increases sharply while they are at Notre Dame to the point that there is no difference between Notre Dame graduates and the general population?

This is just one more worrisome turn at America’s most well known Catholic University. Let’s hope things turn around. But hope dwindles.

HT Project Sycamore