Catholic bishops are criticizing America’s most prominent Catholic school for its decision to appoint a pro-abortion professor to a prestigious academic post.
Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Indiana’s Fort Wayne-South Bend diocese, where Notre Dame is located, issued a strong statement Wednesday opposing the school’s appointment of Professor Susan Ostermann to lead its Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies at the Keough School of International Affairs.
“I must express my dismay and my strong opposition to this appointment that is causing scandal to the faithful of our diocese and beyond,” said Rhoades, a prominent prelate in the U.S. Catholic Church.
“Professor Ostermann’s extensive public advocacy of abortion rights and her disparaging and inflammatory remarks about those who uphold the dignity of human life from the moment of conception to natural death go against a core principle of justice that is central to Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and mission,” he added.
Bishop Robert Barron, a well-known Catholic media personality and member of President Trump’s religious liberty commission, expressed support for Rhoades’s statement and added criticism of his own.
“Like Bishop Rhoades, I speak as someone with strong connections to and deep affection for the University of Notre Dame. I believe that going ahead with this appointment is repugnant to the identity and mission of that great center of Catholic learning,” said Barron, who oversees Minnesota’s Winona-Rochester diocese.
Recently retired Denver archbishop Samuel Aquila expressed similar discontent in a statement lambasting Notre Dame for making a “terrible appointment” that “tarnishes” the school.
The Keough School announced Ostermann’s appointment in January and backlash steadily grew over the following weeks. Multiple scholars have resigned from the Liu Institute because of Ostermann’s appointment and the backlash was expected to come up during trustees’ meetings last week, as NR previously reported.
Notre Dame’s most prominent pro-life organization spoke out against Ostermann earlier this month with a letter to the editor published in The Observer, Notre Dame’s campus paper. Anna Kelley, president of ND Right to Life, said she took personal offense to Ostermann’s appointment because of her background as a Catholic adoptee from China.
“I am so blessed to have escaped the fate that Professor Ostermann’s work has inflicted on so many innocent Chinese lives. Because I have been given the gift of life, I am choosing to speak out with my own testimony to bring attention to the real-life consequences that her ideology promotes,” Kelley said.
Ostermann’s tenure as director of the Liu Institute is set to begin July 1. She holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. She joined Notre Dame in 2017 and specializes in South Asian studies.
An outspoken abortion advocate, Ostermann has written numerous op-eds in support of abortion access and has repeatedly denigrated the pro-life position. Ostermann has claimed the pro-life cause is rooted in white supremacy and accused pregnancy resource centers of supposedly pushing anti-abortion propaganda.
In 2022, then-Notre Dame President Fr. John Jenkins rebuked Ostermann’s abortion advocacy in a statement clarifying her views did not represent those of Notre Dame. Ostermann’s position on abortion directly contradicts Notre Dame’s institutional stance and the Catholic Church’s opposition to abortion in all circumstances.
As a premier global research university, Notre Dame hires professors with a range of viewpoints. Notre Dame’s commitment to its Catholic mission is a constant subject of debate, particularly when it conflicts with its support for academic freedom and high-quality scholarship.
When reached for comment, Notre Dame reiterated its support for the sanctity of life and defended Ostermann’s academic production in fields relevant to the Liu Institute.
“Notre Dame’s commitment to upholding the inherent dignity of the human person and the sanctity of life at every stage is unwavering. Those who serve in leadership positions at Notre Dame do so with the clear understanding that their decision-making as leaders must be guided by and consistent with the University’s Catholic mission,” Notre Dame said in a statement.
“Professor Susan Ostermann is a highly regarded political scientist and legal scholar whose insightful research on regulatory compliance—from forestry conservation in India and Nepal to NSF-funded disaster mitigation in the U.S. territories—demonstrates the rigorous, interdisciplinary expertise required to lead the Liu Institute,” the statement adds.
“A deeply committed educator who has led study abroad programs in Mumbai, she is well prepared to expand the Institute’s global partnerships and create impactful research opportunities that advance our dedication to serving as the preeminent global Catholic research institution.”