Pro-Life Advocates Warn of Erosion of Values

Notre,Dame,,In,,Usa,-,09.02.2023,-,Hesburgh,Library,At

A Catholic university’s appointment of a pro-abortion professor as director of its key Asian studies institute ignites fierce backlash from students and faculty, threatening Notre Dame’s core fidelity to Church teachings on life.

Story Highlights

Notre Dame Right to Life demands rescission of Professor Susan Ostermann’s promotion, citing her op-eds that label pro-life laws as “white supremacy” and support abortion as “freedom-enhancing.”
Two senior faculty members resign from Liu Institute roles, protesting Ostermann’s “contempt” for Catholic doctrine amid Asia’s population control debates.
Student leader Anna Kelley, a China adoptee, links Ostermann’s views to coercive policies that harmed her own life story.
University leadership stands firm despite appeals now elevated to President Fr. Robert Dowd and Board of Fellows.
Critics warn this sets a dangerous precedent eroding Notre Dame’s Catholic identity under new administration.

Student Pro-Life Group Leads Charge

Notre Dame Right to Life Executive Board issued a formal public statement in early February 2026 urging the university to rescind Professor Susan Ostermann’s appointment as director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, effective July 2026. The group, led by President Anna Kelley, highlights Ostermann’s multiple op-eds advocating abortion access, including a 2022 Salon piece calling it “freedom-enhancing” and aligned with Catholic “integral human development.” Kelley’s personal testimony as a Catholic adoptee from China condemns the ideologies Ostermann supports, tying them to real harms like forced abortions under population policies. Signed by board members Teresa Pingel, Alejandra Ricardo, Luke Woodyard, Faustina Barcena, and Maria Madigan, the call frames the appointment as a direct contradiction to Church teachings on life’s sanctity.

Faculty Resignations Signal Deep Divide

Research Professor Emeritus Robert M. Gimello resigned his Liu Institute affiliation in late January 2026, emailing current director Michel Hockx that Ostermann’s appointment shows “contempt” for Church teachings on life. Law Professor Diane A. Desierto followed in early February, quitting her Faculty Fellow and Executive Committee roles. Both cite the symbolic weight of the Liu Institute as Notre Dame’s “Asian face,” where abortion intersects with regional ethics like China’s one-child policy. University officials defend the choice by Keough School Dean Mary Gallagher and Provost John McGreevy, claiming personal views separate from institutional roles and downplaying Gimello’s emeritus status as mere courtesy since 2017.

University’s Catholic Mission Under Fire

Notre Dame’s mission demands fidelity to Catholic doctrine, which deems abortion an intrinsic evil. Past precedent includes 2022, when then-President Fr. John Jenkins rebuked Ostermann’s Chicago Tribune op-ed for not reflecting university values. Under new President Fr. Robert Dowd, C.S.C., initial appeals to rescind the January 8 announcement failed. The matter now escalates to the Board of Fellows, comprising six Holy Cross priests and six laypersons with fiduciary oversight. Critics from conservative Catholic outlets label this a “crisis of Catholic fidelity,” arguing Ostermann co-opts Church social teaching to justify abortion support.

New: Notre Dame Right to Life calls on the university to rescind the appointment of pro-abortion professor Susan Ostermann as head of the Liu Institute. From the statement: “Notre Dame cannot claim to maintain its Catholic identity while simultaneously promoting someone whose…

— Alexandra DeSanctis Marr (@xan_desanctis) February 4, 2026

Ongoing Fallout and Broader Ramifications

As of early February 2026, the appointment stands with no rescission announced, fueling protests through public letters and media coverage. Short-term effects include faculty alienation and student mobilization, straining Liu Institute partnerships. Long-term, it tests Notre Dame’s identity amid national Catholic higher-ed tensions post-Roe, risking donor pullback from alumni prioritizing doctrinal alignment. Pro-life advocates see victory potential if the Board acts, preserving traditional values against erosions in elite institutions. Limited updates post-February leave Board resolution uncertain.