The University of Notre Dame continues to link its students to internships at some of the biggest pro-abortion organizations in the nation, despite protests from pro-life advocates upset by them.
Notre Dame is offering students “summer internship opportunities” at several notorious pro-abortion organizations.
“Our majors have interned at the following organizations,” states the university’s web site, which includes:
•Center for American Progress
•Emily’s List
•Feminist Majority Foundation
•Human Rights Watch
•Institute for Women’s Policy Research
•National Women’s Law Center
•Think Progress
•United Nations Population Fund
More than 10,000 people signed a petition sponsored by TFP Student Action asking Fr. John I. Jenkins, president of Notre Dame, to have the website entries that point students to pro-abortion organizations removed. Instead of acknowledging the fact that these live links are posted on Notre Dame’s website, connecting students with pro-abortion groups that recruit college interns — and removing them — university spokesman Dennis Brown attempted to divert attention from the core issue.
In an email to TFP,Brown writes, “It has come to my attention that your group [TFP] has posted erroneous information regarding internships at Notre Dame. You are claiming that Notre Dame is ‘offering’ internships with pro-abortion organizations and encouraging students to apply with these groups, and that simply isn’t true.”
“The material you have alluded to on the Department of Political Science website is nothing more than a list of organizations that have offered internships to students in the past. We respectfully request that you discontinue disseminating this inaccurate information,” he wrote.
Thomas Schneider of TFP says Brown is avoiding the issue and says the pro-abortion links are still listed as “opportunities.” He said Jenkins’ office recently released a statement that doesn’t settle the matter.
“Thank you for taking the time to write. Fr. Jenkins appreciates you sharing your thoughts, but he is not able to respond to each message individually.
“The information contained in the post on the TFP Student Action website was false. Contrary to the group’s unsubstantiated report, Notre Dame does not offer internships to the organizations that were cited and does not encourage students to apply for them. TFP has changed its story and no longer is making its original false claims. The list on the political science department website was just that, a list of internships students have taken and then self-reported to the department. No academic credit was given nor were university funds used with the internships in question.”
Schneider concludes: “TFP Student Action is grateful to all its readers and members who signed the petition to Notre Dame. For the future of our culture and country, we cannot afford to compromise with evil or surrender on moral values. We will continue our peaceful and prayerful protest until the pro-abortion links, and internships, are removed. The fact that Notre Dame students have served as interns for pro-abortion organizations in the past should cause embarrassment, not pride. Moreover, to post live links to pro-abortion groups under the title “Summer Internship Opportunities” is misleading and morally confusing to faithful Catholic students.”
TFP is urging pro-life advocates to contact the university and its president, Fr. John Jenkins:
The University of Notre Dame
Fr. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
574.631.3903
[email protected]
