Washington- As controversy swirls around President Obama’s commencement address at Notre Dame this Sunday, over 20 Catholic theologians issued a statement today denouncing shrill attacks against the university as betraying a rich Catholic intellectual tradition and injecting partisan politics into the graduation ceremony.

The statement, signed by the president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and other prominent Catholic scholars, will run as a full-page advertisement in the May 16 edition of the South Bend Tribune. It cautions “those who seek to disrupt these joyous proceedings or to divide the Church for narrow political advantage that history is not on your side.”

The theologians note that Notre Dame has a long tradition of inviting presidents from both political parties to give the commencement. They include former presidents George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, whose positions on the death penalty, use of military power, torture and other central life issues did not align with Catholic social teaching.

“These former leaders were received as sitting presidents who came to speak about great issues of our time,” the statement reads. “The same standard should apply for President Obama, a Christian with deep respect for the role of faith in public life and whose commitment to universal health care, comprehensive immigration reform, environmental stewardship and an economy that works for all Americans reflect core Catholic values.

The complete text of the statement with signers can be found below. To view a PDF of the ad as published in the South Bend Tribune click here.

Catholic Leaders and Theologians Welcome President Obama to Notre Dame

As Catholics committed to civil dialogue, we are proud that President Barack Obama will give the Commencement Address at the University of Notre Dame on May 17.

Eighty-five years ago to the very day, the racial and religious hatred of the KKK spilled onto the Irish campus. Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins now welcomes an American president who transcends race with hope and invites people of every faith to find common ground.

Notre Dame has a long tradition of honoring presidents from both political parties. We caution those who seek to disrupt these joyous proceedings or to divide the Church for narrow political advantage that history is not on your side.

Catholic teaching warns about the threats to human dignity posed by abortion, the death penalty, torture, unjust military engagement and the nuclear arms race. The honoring of George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan did not detract from Notre Dame’s commitment to the fullness of faith. These former leaders were received as sitting presidents who came to speak about great issues of our time. The same standard should apply for President Obama, a Christian with deep respect for the role of faith in public life and whose commitment to universal health care, comprehensive immigration reform, environmental stewardship and an economy that works for all Americans reflect core Catholic values.

Catholic institutions of higher learning teach students to engage the world through faith and reason. On this anniversary when the Irish defeated the KKK with fists, it is a measure of human progress that today we use our minds in pursuit of the common good.

We join Notre Dame in recognizing the accomplishments of President Obama.

Nicholas Cafardi
Dean Emeritus
Professor of Law

Lisa Cahill
Professor of Theology
Boston College

David De Cosse
Director of Campus Ethics
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
Santa Clara University

Charles E. Curran
Professor of Human Values
Southern Methodist University

Nancy Dallavalle
Associate Professor
Chair, Department of Religious Studies
Fairfield University

Dennis Doyle
Professor of Religious Studies
University of Dayton

Jeannine Hill Fletcher
Associate Professor of Theology
Fordham University

Elena G. Procario-Foley
Chair, Religious Studies Dept.
Iona College

Richard Gaillardetz
Professor of Catholic Studies
University of Toledo

Kirk O. Hanson
Executive Director
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
Santa Clara University

Kristin E. Heyer
Associate Professor, Theological Studies
Loyola Marymount University

Christine Firer Hinze
Professor, Christian Ethics
Department of Theology
Fordham University

Bradford E. Hinze
Professor of Theology
Fordham University

Douglas Kmiec
Professor of Constitutional Law
Pepperdine University

Paul Lakeland
Director, Center for Catholic Studies
Fairfield University

Vincent Miller
Associate Professor, Theology Department
Georgetown University

David O’Brien
Loyola Professor Emeritus, Catholic Studies
College of Holy Cross

Rev. William O’Neill, SJ
Associate Professor of Social Ethics
Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley

Rev. Tom Reese, SJ
Senior Fellow
Woodstock Theological Center
Georgetown University

Vincent Rougeau
Associate Professor of Law
University of Notre Dame

Stephen Schneck
Director, Life Cycle Institute
The Catholic University of America

Terrence W. Tilley
President
Catholic Theological Society of America

Sandra Yocum
Chair of Religious Studies
University of Dayton