A remarkable development in the Obama-to-Notre Dame saga, via Thomas Peters, the “American Papist”: Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix has sent Fr. John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame, an email saying his invitation to Obama to speak at the May 17 commencement and receive an honorary degree was “a public act of disobedience to US Bishops.”

Olmsted concludes: “I pray that you come to see the grave mistake of your decision, and the way it undercuts the Church’s proclamation of the Gospel of Life in our day.”

Peters says he was given the email and permission to print it by Mike Phelan, Director of Marriage and Respect Life for the Diocese of Phoenix, who said:

“Due to the fact that the invitation by Notre Dame’s president, Fr. John Jenkins, to President Barack Obama to give the commencement speech at Notre Dame’s May graduation is a public act causing widespread public scandal due to the US President’s clear support of policies which fail to protect and even attack innocent human life, Bishop Olmsted has given permission to release the attached email text publicly.”

 A screen shot of Olmsted’s letter is below: