No regrets from bishop on Notre Dame

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Notre Dame's commencement service is set for this Sunday and for the first time in 13 years, Bishop John D'Arcy won't be there.

That decision came after the school announced it would host President Obama as the speaker, and would present him with an honorary law degree.

The bishop's decision has gotten a lot of national attention. Since he announced it, he said it's been a painful time in for the diocese and he hopes something good will come out of it.

"For me to attend could say to the young people 'That's ok'. For a Catholic, it's not ok," said D'Arcy, of President Obama's stances on abortion and embryonic stem cell research. D'Arcy says they are in staunch opposition to those of the Catholic church.

"No one can determine who shouldn't sit at the table of life or who should not. God gave us a lot of rights and so forth, but never gave us that one," said the bishop from his office down town Fort Wayne.

Since D'Arcy announced he wouldn't be attending the commencement ceremony, the school has lost financial support from it's alumni and the winner of the school's highest award has declined to accept it at the ceremony.

D'Arcy says he has no regrets. At the same time, he adds, the ordeal has not diminished his respect for the University of Notre Dame, nor for President Obama. It's only cemented his objectives as a bishop.

"A bishop has to teach," said D'Arcy. "You do that not only with their words but by your actions."

Bishop D'Arcy will still very much be a part of graduation weekend. He'll speak at a baccalaureate mass on Saturday. He'll pray the rosary with students Sunday morning, before presiding over mass on campus.

This is not the first time D'Arcy has chosen not to attend Notre Dame's graduation. In 1992, a pro-choice senator from New York was the speaker. D'Arcy did not attend that year either.