Catholic Character

The Law School draws its inspiration from the Catholic tradition of Sir Thomas More, who was able to say he was “the King’s good servant, but God’s first.” Roman Catholics founded and maintain the University of Notre Dame, and its trustees are mandated to continue it as a Roman Catholic institution. In a community where people of every kind of opinion are welcome and valued for the different contributions they have to make, the exact significance of this religious orientation is difficult to state and, in some ways, is controversial. But most people at Notre Dame agree on at least this much: (1) moral and religious questions are important; no one need apologize for raising them or for taking them seriously when others raise them; (2) everyone who comes here should be encouraged to explore basic personal commitments and to relate them to what is learned here; and (3) the University has an obligation to Christians, particularly Roman Catholics, to provide assistance in this exploration. To this end, it supports a Catholic intellectual and liturgical life for those who desire to participate in it. It welcomes and encourages the corporate manifestations of other faiths and commitments and seeks to meet the needs and desires of other members of the community.