Archbishop Timothy Dolan is the latest member of the Catholic hierarchy -- to criticize Notre Dame's decision to invite President Obama to be its commencement speaker. He appeared on my television show, "Sunday Insight with Charles Sykes" to discuss his tenure as Milwaukee's archbishop. And when I asked him about Notre Dame's decision to invite Obama, he  minced no words, saying that the decision was "a big mistake."

Dolan will become New York's archbishop on April 15.

"There's a lot of things that President Obama does that we can find ourselves allied with and working with him on, and we have profound respect for him and pray with him and for him," Dolan said. "But in an issue that is very close to the heart of Catholic world view, namely, the protection of innocent life in the womb, he has unfortunately taken a position very much at odds with the Church."

Dolan believes honoring and giving Obama a platform to speak at a premier Catholic University like Notre Dame sends a mixed message about the Church's teachings.

In the same interview, Dolan said that if Congress passes a Freedom of Choice Act that compels Catholic hospitals to perform abortions, the church will have no choice but to refuse to obey the law, even if that means closing the hospitals.

You can watch him here.

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UPDATE: Cardinal Daniel DiNardo is also criticizing the invitation...

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo has become the first American cardinal to denounce the University of Notre Dame for inviting Democratic President Barack Obama as its commencement speaker in May and to receive an honorary degree...

"I find the invitation very disappointing. Though I can understand the desire by a university to have the prestige of a commencement address by the President of the United States, the fundamental moral issue of the inestimable worth of the human person from conception to natural death is a principle that soaks all our lives as Catholics, and all our efforts at formation, especially education at Catholic places of higher learning."