Last week, Dr. Nicholas Cafardi, a law professor at Catholic Duquesne University, announced his support for Barack Obama’s presidential bid, yet maintained that he is “staunchly anti-abortion.” Cafardi, who was a trustee at Franciscan University of Steubenville, declared that “we have lost the abortion battle – permanently.” Dr. Cafardi offered his resignation from the Board of Trustees on Monday, October 6. Fr. Terrence Henry, TOR accepted his resignation of behalf of the board, thanking him for the ways in which he assisted Franciscan University in past years.

Franciscan released a public statement reasserting its position on abortion. “Franciscan University stands with the Catholic Church in its opposition to abortion as an intrinsic evil and violation of the sanctity of human life,” said the statement. “The university does not believe the abortion battle is lost, as Dr. Cafardi states, but that the tide is decidedly turning in favor of life.” The University “strongly encourage its students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other constituents to view the life issues—such as abortion, euthanasia, and the protection of marriage and the family—as foundational, and as issues that do not lend themselves to the prudential judgment of the voter.” Sources: Inside Higher Ed. and Life News