Earlier this month, Catholic writer George Weigel took to National Review Online to scold the University of Notre Dame for what he called missing “a golden opportunity” to take a public stand for life and religious liberty in an advertisement during their national championship game. Notre Dame strongly objected to that characterization.

On January 3rd, Weigel wrote a piece called “Notre Dame Punts” in which he wrote:

I wouldn’t be surprised if Our Lady is very unhappy these days with the administration of her university. That unhappiness should be shared by all who understand the singular place that Notre Dame holds in both the American Catholic imagination and the American imagination about Catholicism. For given an unprecedented opportunity to do some evangelical witnessing before what many believe will be the largest audience ever to watch a college football game, Notre Dame has punted.