CNA Staff, May 7, 2024 / 08:00 am
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is scheduled to give the commencement address on May 11 to the record-breaking 896 students in the class of 2024 at Franciscan University of Steubenville.
On the occasion, Alito will also receive an honorary doctorate in Christian ethics “for his decades of exemplary public service and tireless efforts to protect and uphold justice and the rule of law,” according to Franciscan’s May 6 press release.
Alito is known for his majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the 2022 decision that reversed Roe v. Wade and determined that the Constitution could not confer a right to abortion. Alito is also known for backing religious liberty and gun rights.
Prior to the graduation ceremony, Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, is set to preside at the baccalaureate Mass and give a homily. In recognition of his distinguished service to the Church, Franciscan also announced it will confer upon Caggiano an honorary doctorate in catechetics and evangelization.