IS NOTRE DAME REALLY CATHOLIC?

The South Bend Tribune headline was as glaring as a neon sign. It read “Obama tickets hot among Notre Dame faculty”.
It appears that there is a record demand by the Notre Dame faculty for tickets to the 2009 Commencement which features President Obama as the Commencement Speaker, Apparently there are not enough tickets available to meet the faculty demand.
On the other hand, only a handful of faculty members have spoken out about the sanctity of life, the protection of the unborn and the contradiction of those positions that President Obama represents. Only 10 Holy Cross priests have expressed the courage of their convictions in opposition to having President Obama as Notre Dame’s Commencement Speaker and recipient of an honorary doctorate degree.
Is it apathy, fear or pro abortion sentiment that triggers the discrepancy between the record number of faculty seeking tickets and those few faculty members who have voiced their dissent? Regardless, is it any wonder that the majority of students agrees with the majority of faculty regarding Notre Dame honoring President Obama.
There is an old adage that goes “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” When it comes to Catholic principles, Notre Dame doesn’t even lead the horse to water. Actions say a lot about a person and equally as much about an educational institution. What exactly are Notre Dame’s core values? What are the actions of the majority of the faculty and students saying about Notre Dame?
Here is an opportunity for Notre Dame, as an institution, as a faculty, and as a student body to speak loud and clear about its position on the sanctity of life. Instead it chooses to act like any other university. Thus I have to ask. Is Notre Dame really special? Is it really Catholic?