Backlash against the University of Notre Dame is mounting as an increasing number of American bishops denounce the university’s appointment of abortion advocate Susan Ostermann to direct the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.
In a statement released on February 11, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend condemned the promotion of Ostermann, expressing his “dismay” over the appointment, which he said is “causing scandal to the faithful of our diocese and beyond.” Citing Ostermann’s numerous “outrageous claims” and “disparaging” remarks towards the pro-life movement, the bishop called on the university to “rectify” the situation.
Since Bp. Rhoades’ statement, at least 12 other bishops have similarly expressed their opposition to the university’s action. Critics include Word on Fire’s Bishop Robert Barron of the Winona-Rochester diocese and Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Bp. Barron expressed “strong support” for Bp. Rhoades’ statement on X, calling Ostermann’s appointment “repugnant to the identity and mission of that great center of Catholic learning.” Bp. Coakley said Notre Dame exhibited “poor judgement in hiring a professor who openly stands against Catholic teaching.”
Other bishops to endorse Bp. Rhoades’ statement include Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth, Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Bishop James Wall of Gallup, Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, former archbishop of New York, and Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun, former bishop of Hong Kong.
Bp. Paprocki called the decision “scandalous,” saying, “Catholic social teaching cannot be selectively invoked while rejecting its foundational principle—the inviolable dignity of the human person from conception to natural death. To do so is not only intellectually incoherent but a direct slap in the face to the Church’s moral tradition. Academic freedom does not obligate a Catholic university to entrust leadership to those whose public positions contradict essential moral truths.”
Notre Dame has been the focus of heated controversy since the beginning of January, when it announced Ostermann’s promotion.
Ostermann, largely working in tandem with former Notre Dame professor Tamara Kay, wrote nearly a dozen articles in recent years promoting abortion as “freedom-enhancing,” calling crisis pregnancy centers “propaganda sites,” and vilifying the pro-life movement as one rooted in “white supremacy and racism.”
“Notre Dame has publicly committed as a Catholic institution to the life and dignity of the human person. It affirms the Church’s teaching that ‘human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2270),” Bp. Rhoades wrote in his statement.
Referencing Pope Francis’ words that described the promotion of abortion as a “false compassion” towards women, Bp. Rhoades called on Notre Dame to stand for the “inalienable right to life of mothers and their unborn children,” as the Church does.
Bp. Rhoades listed several reasons disqualifying Ostermann for the role as director of the Liu Institute. He began with her “ludicrous” misunderstanding of the term “integral human development,” a principle of Catholic social teaching which guides the work of the Liu Institute. Ostermann, in direct opposition to Church teaching, used the same principle to support abortion on demand, the bishop argued.
“To the contrary,” Bp. Rhoades wrote, “the Holy See, in statements to the United Nations, continues to defend the ‘right to life’ as one of the core ‘pillars of integral human development’ (e.g. Note regarding the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 2016).”
The bishop continued, “Also disqualifying is Professor Ostermann’s work as a consultant for the Population Council. For those who have never heard of it, this is an organization dedicated to the promotion of abortion around the world. It has been linked to China’s population control policies that have resulted in hundreds of millions of abortions of baby girls. It was also instrumental in securing approval of the abortion pill by the FDA, which is responsible for the majority of abortions in the United States.”
Bp. Rhoades expressed great concern for the university’s role in causing “confusion in the public mind as to Notre Dame’s fidelity to its Catholic mission.” He stated that Ostermann’s work should “disqualify her from an administrative and leadership role at a Catholic university.”
Addressing the question of respect for academic freedom at the university—an objection many have raised to those opposing Ostermann’s appointment—Bp. Rhoades wrote, “Academic freedom concerns the liberty of faculty to conduct research according to their own professional judgment and interests. This appointment, by contrast, concerns the official administrative appointment to lead an academic unit. Such appointments have profound impact on the integrity of Notre Dame’s public witness as a Catholic university.”
The bishop turned to the importance of Our Lady’s intercession, asking the Notre Dame community to “say a prayer or light a candle at her grotto.”
In 2009, over 70 bishops decried Notre Dame’s invitation to then-President Barack Obama to deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary degree. Despite the strong opposition from Catholic leadership, the invitation was never rescinded by the university.
As of publication, there is no indication that Notre Dame plans to reverse its decision on Ostermann’s appointment. On February 13, the university confirmed to EWTN News that her appointment would remain.
On Friday, February 27, students will gather in front of the Main Building at 6 p.m. to prayerfully protest the appointment.
Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing news story and will be updated accordingly.
Lucy Spence is a junior from McLean, Virginia majoring in the Program of Liberal Studies and piano performance, with a minor in philosophy. She can be reached at lspence@nd.edu.