A statement provided late Tuesday by the university cited Snyderman's comments about abortion, specifically fetal reduction, on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Oct. 30, 1997, as the reason for rescinding the invitation. Information about those comments was provided to the university by Bishop John M. D'Arcy, head of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Roman Catholic Diocese, the university's statement said.

Snyderman, a Fort Wayne native, was to give the speech at Saturday afternoon's commencement ceremony at Memorial Coliseum. Snyderman said she does not normally speak at graduation ceremonies, and this particular event took about two years to coordinate.

The surgeon, author and former ABC medical correspondent was hours away from leaving her home in California when she received a fax from University of Saint Francis President Sister M. Elise Kriss.

The letter informed Snyderman that the offer to speak had been rescinded.

"The university recently received information from (D'Arcy) containing comments by you on the topic of abortion, and these comments appear to be contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church," the letter read. "As a Catholic university, we have no choice but to rescind our invitation."

No keynote speaker will be featured at the event, but D'Arcy and U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd, will receive honorary degrees and likely speak during the commencement.

Snyderman said she was disappointed by the school's, and D'Arcy's, decision.

"This is a poor step in my opinion, such a poor show of faith in a world where people aren't even coming to the table to talk about their differences," Snyderman said. "To assume you know what someone thinks or stands for is very dangerous."

Attempts to reach Kriss and D'Arcy on Tuesday afternoon were unsuccessful.

During the story on "Good Morning America," Snyderman discussed a woman who had suffered from infertility, but then had become pregnant with septuplets, Snyderman said.

Paraphrasing her previous report, Snyderman said it "was imprudent to deliver seven babies," and said many doctors will suggest "selective reduction" - using abortion to reduce the number of fetuses to two or three or four - to increase the chances of survival for the remaining fetuses.

But Snyderman, an Episcopalian, said it was a medical report, not an expression of her personal beliefs.

"He has no idea what my personal beliefs are," she said of D'Arcy. As a reporter, Snyderman tries to leave her beliefs out of the reports, she said.

"I report facts. As a medical reporter, I report science," she said.

The commencement speech is a place to inspire graduates, Snyderman said.

"It's not about abortion, it's not about me, it's not about him. It's about the future," she said. "Commencement addresses are meant to raise the bar in an intellectual way, and he blocked that."

In the school's letter to Snyderman, Kriss said Snyderman will be reimbursed for any expenses incurred in planning her trip to Fort Wayne and offered an apology for "this unforeseen turn of events."

"We know that you are respectful of our beliefs, and we hope that you can understand the position in which we find ourselves," Kriss wrote in the letter. "This is in no way a reflection on you personally, and I certainly hope that you do not take it that way."