I never met Professor Charles Rice, but everyone I know who knew him — and I mean everyone — speaks of him with admiration. Many speak of him with something like reverence. He died February 25th at the age of 84, having been a long-time professor of law at Notre Dame and one of the major lay voices in the Catholic Church in America. Here’s his obituary from the local newspaper, the South Bend Tribune.

Here is the uncut version of the last interview he did. The friend who sent it — one of those who speaks of him with reverence — wrote “It gives you a good idea of what he was like and actually did remind me of being in class with him. At times word for word.”

A strong, indeed a famously strong Catholic, he had clear ideas about culture and politics — as when he refers in the interview to Obama’s executive order giving amnesty to illegal immigrants as the “demolition of the Constitution.” But he continually comes back to God as the primary matter.  His strongest ideas grew directly from his faith.

Discussing the challenges to the family, particularly the effects of accepting contraception, Professor Rice says, “The only answer to these things is the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church.” He then explains: “The Catholic faith is not a set of doctrines. It’s not a set of rules. The Catholic faith is a lived knowledge of Christ, a lived relationship with Christ. We’ve got to pray for that.”