The EWTN News article (February 11, 2026) reports on “Bp.” Kevin Rhoades’ expression of “dismay” and “strong opposition” to the University of Notre Dame’s appointment of pro-abortion professor Susan Ostermann to lead the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. The article details Ostermann’s history of equating pro-life advocacy with white supremacy and misogyny while noting Rhoades’ citation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae and his call for Notre Dame to rescind the appointment before its July 1 effective date. Two faculty members have resigned in protest, with Professor Robert Gimello calling continued association “unconscionable.” This theatrical condemnation starkly reveals the conciliar sect’s systemic apostasy from Catholic principles.
Theological and Juridical Nullity of Conciliar Protests
The article’s central premise—that a conciliar “bishop” possesses legitimate authority to correct a conciliar university—collapses under examination of pre-1958 ecclesiology. Quas primas (Pius XI, 1925) establishes that Christ’s kingship demands “not only private individuals, but also rulers and governments have the duty to publicly honor Christ and obey Him” (n. 32). Notre Dame’s employment of any abortion advocate constitutes formal cooperation with intrinsic evil, rendering the institution ipso facto apostate under Canon 2334 of the 1917 Code. Rhoades’ mere “dismay” confirms his participation in the conciliar sect’s fundamental rejection of Regnum Christi, which requires immediate suppression of such scandals, not bureaucratic hand-wringing.
The invocation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990)—a post-conciliar document—as Rhoades’ primary reference exposes the bankruptcy of his position. Pius XI’s Divini illius Magistri (1929) mandates that Catholic education “direct the eyes and minds of youth to the Church” (n. 80) through explicit subordination to ecclesiastical authority. By contrast, John Paul II’s Ex Corde creates the illusion of Catholic identity while permitting precisely the secularization evidenced at Notre Dame. Rhoades operates within this modernist framework, where “dialogue” replaces condemnation and procedural delays supplant decisive action.
Scandal of Gradualism in Mortal Sin
The article’s focus on Ostermann’s July 1 effective date epitomizes the conciliar sect’s corrupt moral calculus. The Syllabus of Errors (Pius IX, 1864) explicitly condemns the proposition that “the Church ought to be separated from the State, and the State from the Church” (Error 55). Notre Dame’s defense of Ostermann as a “highly regarded political scientist” who will “be guided by” Catholic mission constitutes formal acceptance of this condemned error. Every day Ostermann remains employed—let alone promoted—constitutes institutional endorsement of child murder.
Rhoades’ suggestion that Ostermann might “explicitly retract” her views ignores the Church’s perennial teaching on formal cooperation with evil. The 1917 Code of Canon Law mandates excommunication latae sententiae for those procuring abortions (Canon 2350), with theologians like Prümmer specifying that public proponents incur automatic excommunication for heresy. The conciliar sect’s refusal to declare Ostermann vitandus—while permitting her to shape young minds—reveals its utter abandonment of Lex Fundamentalis Ecclesiae.
Omissions Confirming Apostasy
The article’s most damning element lies in what it fails to address:
- No mention of eternal consequences: Rhoades’ statement omits any reference to hell, judgment, or the eternal destiny of souls complicit in abortion—a silence inconceivable to pre-conciliar prelates like St. Anthony Mary Claret, who warned that “the blood of children massacred before birth cries out more to God than that of Abel”.
- No call for student resistance: Authentic Catholic tradition—exemplified by St. Charles Borromeo’s confrontation of heretical professors at Bologna—would demand students boycott Ostermann’s institute until her removal. Instead, the article normalizes coexistence with evil.
- No critique of Notre Dame’s essence: As Lamentabili Sane (1907) warned, modernist institutions “slowly accustom themselves to degradation” (Prop. 46). Notre Dame’s decades-long erosion (theological dissent, LGBT clubs, vaginal “art” exhibits) makes Ostermann’s appointment inevitable—not anomalous.
The Masonic Roots of Conciliar Inaction
The theatrical resignations of Gimello and Desierto complete this farce. These gestures—praised as principled in the article—actually sustain the conciliar sect’s illusion of internal “reform.” Compare this to St. Pius X’s condemnation of Modernist strategy: “They feign a sort of horror of extremism” (Pascendi Dominici Gregis, 39) while advancing heresy. The resignations permit Notre Dame to posture as mediating “dialogue” between “extremes,” exactly as Masonic operative Antonio Gramsci prescribed for undermining Catholic institutions.
Until the conciliar sect acknowledges its illegitimate origins—from Roncalli’s non-election to Montini’s freemasonic ties—such controversies will proliferate. As the Syllabus declares: “The Roman pontiff cannot, and ought not to, reconcile himself with progress, liberalism, and modern civilization” (Error 80). Notre Dame’s embrace of Ostermann and Rhoades’ tepid response prove the conciliar church has done precisely that.
Source:
Bishop Rhoades expresses ‘strong opposition’ to pro-abortion professor’s appointment at Notre Dame (ewtnnews.com)
Date: 11.02.2026