Contact: Bob Sturm, 703-396-6974; after 6 PM Eastern & on weekends, Bob Sturm or Cynthia Chambliss, 703-307-8176, 703-930-5148; ConservativeHQ.com

MANASSAS, Virginia, Mar. 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- The decision by the University of Notre Dame to honor Barack Obama is "part of the general collapse in American institutions and the failure of America's leadership class," Richard A. Viguerie said.

President Obama is scheduled to speak in May at Notre Dame's commencement, at which he will receive an honorary doctorate.

Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, pointed out that, "Barack Obama is a pro-abortion extremist. He supports elective abortion at any point during pregnancy, and even afterward; he opposes protecting children who survive abortions. He supports using U.S. taxpayers' money to pay for elective abortions, in our country and in other countries. He is working to strip medical professionals of their right not to perform abortions."

"Obviously, it is a gross violation of Catholic moral principles for Notre Dame to honor Barack Obama," he said.

"Notre Dame is one of many Catholic institutions that are C.I.N.O. -- Catholic in Name Only. From honoring pro-abortion politicians to hosting 'The Vagina Monologues,' many Catholic colleges and other Catholic institutions are walking away from Catholic values. As a result, many Catholics are walking away from the Church."

"When," Viguerie asked, "is the last time a typical American Catholic heard a Sunday sermon about the cultural collapse that is happening in this country? Why have bishops and priests gone mostly silent on the subject of pre-marital sex, adultery, homosexuality, same sex marriage, pornography, divorce, and modesty in dress and manners?"

He added: "It's time for each and every Catholic to reconsider his or her relationship to all Catholic institutions. No Catholic should support any supposedly Catholic institution, such as Notre Dame, that refuses to abide by the principles of the Church."

The Obama/Notre Dame scandal is part of a wider pattern, Viguerie noted, "not just in Catholic institutions. One institution after another has failed the American people. Wall Street, the National Media, Corporate America, Washington, Hollywood, and leaders of most religious organizations have betrayed the American people who look to them for guidance. In turn, Americans have lost confidence in the leaders of these institutions."

But, Viguerie said, there is hope. "With the protests against the Bush-Obama bailout-and-bonus program, and the 'tea parties' spreading across the country, we are seeing the beginning of a grassroots revolt that, I believe, will raise up a new generation of leaders."

NOTE TO EDITORS: Richard A. Viguerie pioneered political direct mail and has been called "one of the creators of the modern conservative movement" (The Nation magazine), one of the "conservatives of the century" (The Washington Times), and one of 2008's "top 25 influencers" among Republicans (NewsMax magazine). He is the author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause.