Prof. Mary Ann Glendon to be Honored at Proudly Pro-Life Awards Dinner

By Dave Andrusko

Editor's note. Please send your thoughts and observations to daveandrusko@gail.com.

Circle this on your calendar. Prof. Mary Ann Glendon, a staunch defender of unborn babies and insightful critic of pro-abortion feminism, will be honored October 6 by NRLC's Educational Trust Fund with the 16th Proudly Pro-Life Award.

In extending the invitation, which Prof. Glendon graciously accepted, NRL President Dr. Wanda Franz wrote, "Your continued service to the Right to Life Movement over the years has made a substantial impact on this nation in the defense of life." Dr. Franz added, "By your recent public actions, you have shown again that you stand unflinchingly pro-life."

Late last month, Prof. Glendon wrote the Rev. John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame, to inform him that she had changed her mind and could not accept the prestigious Laetare Medal or participate in the May 17 graduation ceremony. Pro-abortion President Barack Obama is scheduled to give the commencement address and receive a honorary doctor of laws degree.

In her correspondence with Rev. Jenkins, Prof. Glendon outlined why she had decided to withdraw.

"First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree," she wrote. "This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops' express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions 'should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles' and that such persons 'should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.'"

Glendon had learned that among the "talking points" Notre Dame was distributing in response to criticism "included two statements implying that my acceptance speech would somehow balance the event."

But a commencement, she wrote, "is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame's decision--in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops--to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church's position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice."

And then there was the domino effect--"other Catholic schools are similarly choosing to disregard the bishops' guidelines," she wrote. Putting it altogether, Glendon concluded, "with great sadness" that she could neither accept the award nor participate in the graduation ceremony.

Prof. Glendon is Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard University. She teaches and writes on international human rights, comparative law, and constitutional law issues. From 2007 to 2009 she served as US Ambassador to the Holy See.

Prof. Glendon is the author of several important books, including Abortion and Divorce in Western Law, and many articles for scholarly and popular journals.

The Proudly Pro-Life Awards Dinner is returning to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City for the first time since 2003. The award honors leaders in public service, business, the arts, entertainment, and religion who have made special contributions in the defense of unborn children.

Previous recipients include Rep. Henry Hyde; the Most Reverend Charles Chaput, the Archbishop of Denver; the family of Terri Schindler Schiavo; Richard and Helen DeVos; Pat Boone; Archbishop Renato Martino; Dr. James Dobson; Mrs. Arthur DeMoss; John Cardinal O'Connor; Gov. Robert Casey; Sen. Bob Smith; Rep. Christopher Smith; Rep. Charles Canady; Judge Robert Bork; Mr. Virgil Dechant of the Knights of Columbus; Sen. Jesse Helms; Mr. Wellington Mara of the New York Football Giants; Mr. Thomas S. Monaghan; Bishop James T. McHugh; Mr. Lawrence Garvey; and Fr. Frank Pavone.