Cathleen Kaveny, University of Notre Dame professor of Law and Theology and a member of Sen. Barack Obama’s National Catholic Advisory Committee, is the latest Catholic college professor to make a conspicuous endorsement of pro-abortion Obama for president. In a recent article in America Magazine, Kaveny argues that the Church’s language of “intrinsic evil” is not strong enough to impede Catholics from voting for pro-abortion candidates.

“This latest occurence of a Catholic professor sowing confusion among Catholics about the bishops’ teaching on the sanctity of life demonstrates the lengths to which some are willing to go to get Obama elected – as well as the urgent need for reforming many of our Catholic colleges and universities,” said Patrick Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society.

Catholic professors Douglas Kmiec and Nicholas Cafardi made headlines in past months also by offering their support for Obama, while maintaining that abortion is wrong.

Together with Kaveny on the Obama campaign’s National Catholic Advisory Committee are Nicholas Cafardi of Duquesne University, Sister Margaret Gannon of Marywood University, Lisa Cahill of Boston College, and other professors at Catholic colleges. Last week Cahill attacked the US bishops for damaging the “rich faith tradition” of the Catholic Church by preaching that Catholics cannot vote for pro-abortion candidates because of their position on abortion.

Kaveny argues for a distinction between “intrinsically evil” and “gravely evil” acts. She proposes that since intrinsically evil acts deal with objects, not intentions, other evil actions can sometimes outweigh abortion.

Referring to the Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes, Kaveny says that the Church does not lay out a specific plan of action to apply life principles to society, rather, “the prophetic use of the term ‘intrinsic evil’ is meant to start an urgent discussion among people of good will about grave injustices in the world . . . The language of intrinsic evil does not help us here. Only the virtue of practical wisdom, enlightened by charity, can take us further."

Kaveny states: "in this fallen world, moral character alone is not enough. Political competence and other practical skills are also required. The person with the best moral character may not be the best president."