Oxford chancellor to give Notre Dame commencement address

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - The chancellor of the University of Oxford has again been invited to be the commencement speaker at the University of Notre Dame and to receive an honorary degree.

The university announced that Christopher Patten will be the featured speaker at the May 17 commencement. He had been scheduled to give the commencement address last year, but missed the event because of health concerns.

Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John Jenkins, described Patten as a highly respected statesman in Great Britain and around the world who has taken on and helped resolve complex international issues. Patten served as Hong Kong's last governor until it was handed over to China in 1997.

Jenkins also described Patten as a leading Catholic who led the planning for Pope Benedict's visit to Great Britain.