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VOLUME 58, ISSUE 54 | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Bishop Rhoades discusses abortion, discipleship Rhoades advised framing the issue around ‘unwanted abortions’ to win over Americans post-Dobbs By ISA SHEIKH and LIAM KELLY News Editor and Associate News Editor
In two talks this week, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Archdiocese of South Bend and Fort Wayne spoke to students on campus. Earlier in the year, the bishop weighed in on Saint Mary’s transgender admissions policy and ultimately succeeded in having the rule reversed. Rhoades, who has served as bishop in the area since 2009, said he comes to Notre Dame often. “I’ll sometimes say Bishop of Fort Wayne, South Bend and Notre Dame because I’m here a lot and I love coming here to be with you,” Rhoades said in his Monday evening talk after celebrating mass in the Basilica of
the Sacred Heart.
‘Unwanted abortions’: anti-abortion policy in postDobbs America Rhoades’s talk on Monday, hosted by Notre Dame Right to Life and University Faculty for Life, discussed abortion and ways for the anti-abortion movement to succeed in a new reality after the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Rhoades said he was “obviously very happy” with the Dobbs decision having been involved with the cause since attending the first ever March for Life as a high school student. “My joy over the Dobbs decision was tempered by the realization not only that abortion see BISHOP PAGE 4
Editor-in-Chief names incoming editorial board Observer Staff Report
Eig ht depa r t ment heads w i l l complete T he Obser ver’s 2024-2025 Ed itor ia l Boa rd, i ncom i ng Ed itor-i n-Ch ief Isa Shei k h a n nou nced Monday. “I cou ld n’t be happier w it h t he tea m t hat’s stepped up a nd t he v ision t hey have for t h is paper a nd t he nex t yea r,” Shei k h sa id. “T hey ’re a n except iona l g roup of cont r ibutors to T he Obser ver who have proven t hemselves capable t i me a nd t i me aga i n.” T he eig ht ed itors w i l l joi n Shei k h a s wel l a s i ncom i ng Ma nag i ng Ed itor Kat h r y n Much n ick a nd A ssista nt Ma nag i ng Ed itors Ca rol i ne Col l i ns, T homa s Dobbs a nd Madel i ne L add i n d i recti ng t he ed itor ia l responsibi l it ies of t he paper. Ju n iors Em ma Du f f y,
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ISA SHEIKH | The Observer
Bishop Rhoades spoke twice in talks hosted by Notre Dame Right to Life and University Faculty for Life, speaking out against abortion and exhorting his audience to live out Christian virtues in the workplace.
Senate passes resolution to protect sexual orientation non-discrimination clauses. The last time a resolution like this was discussed in the student senate was in 2012. Ryan said, in 2012 the administration responded to the resolution by explicitly saying “‘We are not changing it.’” “I think anything trying to change here takes time. I’m not expecting anything to happen tomorrow, it’s not something that can happen overnight, but I think the fact that this is a substantive issue, the specific nondiscrimination clause, it elicits a response from the administration either way,” Ryan said. Last school year, junior Pablo Oropeza, former vice president of Stanford Hall, and senior Dane Sherman launched an initiative under Irish for Inclusion to change the University’s nondiscrimination clause to include sexual orientation, gender identity and religious affiliation. This initiative is different from the resolution passed in the senate last week. The senate resolution only includes sexual orientation in its proposed changes, not
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Last Wednesday, the Notre Dame student senate passed Resolution SS 2324-10 urging the University to consider including the protection of individuals on the basis of sexual orientation in Notre Dame’s non-discrimination clause. The resolution was sponsored by Sorin Hall senator and sophomore Andrew Ryan, who cited similar resolutions passed in 2012, 2008 and 1998 as his motivation for reaffirming that this is an issue that is still important to students. “I was looking back at previous stuff the senate had done … And one of my main points was to show that this is still important to people,” Ryan said. “I tried to build an argument that even if the administration hasn’t done anything [before], it’s an important symbol to include sexual orientation in the non-discrimination clause.” Ryan cited the 2022 inclusive campus survey as a major reason for advancing this
resolution. According to the survey, 48% of LGBQ men and 35% of LGBQ women reported experiencing adverse treatment due to their sexual orientation, while 1% of straight men and 0% of straight women reported experiencing the same. “People still feel that they are not accepted for who they are. I understand the Catholic sentiment of the issue and I think that’s obviously why it hasn’t been acted on,” Ryan said. “The University has made strides in terms of sexual orientation. There’s PrismND, there’s Gender Relations, we have a lot of resources, so clearly it’s not something we are afraid to tackle,” Ryan said. “The final step is to make it legally binding in writing.” Greg Gehring, director of gender relations and LGBTQ+ Advocacy was unavailable to comment on this story. The resolution also cited other universities that are part of the Congregation of Holy Cross, including Kings’ College and Stonehill College, that include protection on the basis of sexual orientation in their
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Ma r issa Pa net h iere a nd L ia m Pr ice, a long w it h sophomores L ia m Kel ly a nd Tyler Reidy a nd f reshmen Ay nslee Del lacca, Peter Mi k u lsk i a nd Gray Nocja r. Du f f y w i l l be cont i nui ng a s Socia l Med ia Ed itor. She is f rom L ong Isla nd, New York. She is major i ng i n pol it ica l science w it h m i nors i n jou r na l ism, et hics a nd democrac y ( JED), const it ut iona l st ud ies a nd Ita l ia n. At T he Obser ver, she ha s ser ved a s Socia l Med ia Ed itor, newsletter ma nager a nd w r it ten for News, V iew poi nt a nd Scene. Pa net h iere, a ju n ior f rom St. L ou is, Missou r i l iv i ng i n Lyons Ha l l w i l l ser ve a s t he Graph ics Ed itor. She is a biochem ist r y a nd Ita l ia n st ud ies double major. Si nce joi n i ng T he Obser ver
By CAROLINE COLLINS News Writer
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