Laetare Medal Controversy
Glendon was selected by the University of Notre Dame as the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Laetare Medal but declined the award due to the university's controversial decision to host Barack Obama as its commencement speaker and bestow upon him an honorary degree. In light of Obama's strong pro-choice policies, Glendon considered Notre Dame's decision to be in violation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' 2004 pronouncement that Catholic institutions should not give "awards, honors, or platforms" to "those who act in defiance of fundamental moral principles." Glendon also felt that the university was implicitly trying to use her acceptance speech to give the appearance of balance to the event and expressed concern about the "ripple effect" Notre Dame's disregard of the USCCB pronouncement is having on the nation's other Catholic schools.
She later received an award from the National Right to Life Committee at its Pro-Life Awards Dinner in October.
Read more about this topic: Mary Ann Glendon
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