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Fr. Jenkins, President of the University of Notre Dame, didn't end the controversy over the Vagina Monologues with his flaccid "closing statement." (Read more from AmSpecBlog on it here.) He has succeeded in emboldening those who wish to water down ND's Catholic identity, and in alienating those who wish to preserve the traditional understanding of a Catholic university.

One of the voices in the latter crowd includes philosopher Professor Charles Rice. Rice concludes that Jenkins' surrendering closing statement also marks the closing of his presidency, and calls on him to resign in today's Observer.

At the very least, this doesn't bode well for Notre Dame. Jenkins is a young man, and Notre Dame presidents typically enjoy long tenures. He challenged the worldly liberalism of the most vocal parts of the faculty and student body, and backed down when they reacted. Thankfully, those who (too quietly) oppose Jenkins's decision have a voice in folks like Professor Rice.