In his apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Blessed John Paul II expressed his great love and respect for the unique and increasingly critical mission of Catholic universities.
Their “privileged task,” he stated, is “to unite existentially by intellectual effort two orders of reality that too frequently tend to be placed in opposition as though they were antithetical: the search for truth and the certainty of already knowing the fount of truth.”
The Holy Father re-energized the Church’s vision of Catholic higher education by outlining general principles and canonical requirements for securing and evaluating the religious identity of universities and colleges that call themselves Catholic.
In the United States, Ex Corde Ecclesiae provided a framework for the long overdue reform of Catholic universities that had lost their way, and there have been triumphs and failures since its release.
Vibrant new institutions have opened, providing an unapologetically Catholic environment for the pursuit of truth. Meanwhile, venerable institutions that had drifted away from their founders’ missions began to recruit committed faculty and renew core academic departments.
Unfortunately, many “Catholic” colleges and universities still await the kind of courageous leadership that is needed to reverse the forces of secularization and institutional decay. In theology departments, and throughout the liberal arts, many faculty members and administrators passively and actively repudiate authoritative Catholic teaching as the enemy of academic freedom.
In recent years, the sponsorship of the exploitative play The Vagina Monologues and theological conferences that misrepresent or reject Catholic moral teaching have sparked protests.
Meanwhile, reformers working within these institutions know that the momentary crises are symptoms of a deeper malaise.
Thus, Pope Benedict XVI returned to the theme of Catholic higher education during his 2011-2012 ad limina meetings with U.S. bishops. He told a group of them: “Young people have a right to hear clearly the Church’s teaching and, most importantly, to be inspired by the coherence and beauty of the Christian message, so that they in turn can instill in their peers a deep love of Christ and his Church.”
Pope Benedict and his predecessor affirm that an authentic Catholic institution of higher education sees no contradiction between a vibrant witness of the faith and the demanding pursuit of truth across all academic disciplines.
Indeed, both John Paul II and Benedict XVI have noted the compatibility of faith and reason, assuring the world that the Church is no enemy of academic freedom, properly understood.
In the academy, some embrace moral relativism as a form of liberation, but both Popes warn that this kind of liberation marks a downward spiral in which the very existence of truth is doubted, leading the entire institution to question the value of its mission.
Ultimately, a deeply rooted creed of relativism will crowd out competing systems of thought.
In 2009, the news that President Barack Obama would speak at the University of Notre Dame’s commencement exercises and receive an honorary doctorate there prompted national protests from bishops, the university’s alumni and the faithful.
Despite a petition campaign that drew more than 360,000 signatures, the university did not rescind its offer. Yet Catholic faculty and reform groups say that Notre Dame has made discernable progress in closing the gap between its institutional mandate as a Catholic university and its once lagging effort to recruit committed Catholics to the faculty.
Recently, controversy erupted again following the announcement that Georgetown University had invited Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to speak at a graduation event.
Critics of the university say the action was more egregious because Sebelius, a self-professed Catholic, approved the federal rule mandating that virtually all private employers provide contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs in their health plans — including institutions that oppose these services on moral and religious grounds.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has opposed the federal rule as a direct threat to the free exercise of Catholic universities, social agencies and hospitals.
Further, they are repudiating the HHS mandate because it attempts to define what is or is not “Catholic” — Church-affiliated educational and charitable institutions are excluded from an extremely narrow religious exemption.
In these pages, we report that a small group of faculty members at Georgetown has initiated a letter campaign asking the university president, John DeGioia, to rescind the invitation to Sebelius.
At press time, DeGioia had not spoken publicly, while an administration spokesman sought to downplay the significance of Sebelius’ role at the graduation event. However, the letter by protesting faculty members concluded that Sebelius’ presence at a graduation awards event was “a grave and serious mistake — indeed, a scandalous one.”
In truth, it is impossible to assume Georgetown’s ignorance about the high stakes involved. Rather, committed Catholics may be forced to conclude that the oldest Catholic university in the United States no longer cares to defend the hard-earned legacy of its Jesuit founders.
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It is not only Georgetown, but virtually every Jesuit (et al) university across the country that ignores Church teaching. The bishops have let this problem fester for so long that the problem is now virtually out of control.
Satan now employs Obama, Georgetown University.the Society of Jesus and, sadly, now even our Cardinals who remain silent. I read an article called “The Devil Went Down to Georgetown Today”. No, it is now his demonic citadel, his infernal throne, malignant base of operations. St Ignatius pray for us.
STEP OF DALGHREN CHAPEL LITTERED WITH CONDOMS, CUPS, AND ALCOHOL
Say a prayer and take a deep breath before reading further one:
“At 10:30pm on Tuesday night, a group of approximately 20 or 30 students left the steps of Dalhgren Chapel strewn with trash that included dozens of small paper cups filled with unidentifiable liquids, both open and closed condom packs, a bottle of liquor, and condoms wrapped around bananas.”
blog.georgetownvoice.com/.../steps-of-dahlgren-chapel-littered-with-condoms-cups-and-alcohol
DEMONIC
Satan’s employees may regret that they refrained from defending Our Standard, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Vociferous protests are planned.
I will take both the commenter and the author to task for referring to Catholic Theologians at various Catholic Universities as relativists. Which ones are you both referring? Name names.
The reason why I make this argument is due to the fact that few Moral Theologians are relativists. It would be hypocritical to be a Moral Theologian (one who studies morality) and a relativist (one who says that morality is in the mind of the beholder). They both cannot exist in the same person.
When I was working on a Master’s Degree at the Graduate Theological Union, albeit a “liberal” seminary, I never once met a relativist among the faculty.
Your argument is thoroughly flawed.
How can you be a relativist (one who thinks morality is in the eye of the beholder) and a moral theologian (one who studies morality)? If morality is in the eye of the beholder, then you cannot study it. It’s a contradiction. I may be a liberal Catholic and educated in moral theology, but I am definitely not a relativist. Unless the commenter and the author think if you disagree with Church teaching on ANY issue, you must be a relativist. If so, then every Catholic is a relativist.
Considering her position as an opponent of the Catholic Church it makes no sense to allow her to speak at Georgetown. The bishops should demand that Mr. DeGioia stop this performance immediately. She is not part of a debate on religious issues but rather will enjoy an opportunity to say what ever she wants.Permitting this performance will undermine the position of our bishops who are negotiating with her on specific issues, and tell the rest of the world there must be some truth to what she says if Georgetown lets her speak. I believe the bishops should appeal to the pope who has control over the senior representative of the Jesuits in Rome. The problem of who has control over faith and morals at our Catholic universities would be easily solved here. Hopefully the local directors of the university would be overruled. This is a management
problem that should be quickly settled at the highest level.
I suppose it would be acceptable to provide some viewpoints not in line with Catholic teaching - but with the important caveat that the true Catholic perspective on these issues should also be equally represented - and not just ‘for balance’, but the rightness of the Catholic view be *emphasized* in such schools! As it is, these so-called ‘Catholic’ universities do not even give token acknowledgement of true Catholic teachings when they allow these opposing viewpoints to air - hence, they have become promoters of the modernist, ‘cool and hip’, morally relativistic, anti-Catholic agenda, thereby mocking the very dogmas and doctrines whose teaching is supposed to be their stated mission and reason for existence! Mr. Screwtape has done very well in destroying these ‘Catholic’ institutions from within!
As a Jesuit, I am very disappointed at the direction that Georgetown has taken. It seemingly has lost its Catholic Identity through the various activities that have been on campus. President DeGoia does not realize the scandal the University is now giving to the Catholic laity. Now is the time for Cardinal Wuerl to speak publicly and not through a staff member. Somebody in the Archdiocese needs courage to take on the University.
We’ve been taught to guard our senses against evil images and idea’s. To put on our “armor” to shield us from our enemies, yet our Universities invite them into their own home! To invite them is to accept their beliefs. Will someone debate them? No. Their ideology will be deemed acceptable just by the mere tfact they were invited to speak! How blind are the leaders of the Catholic Church?
Pray for our bishops and the leaders of religious orders and their courageous, and sometimes visible, leadership.
“Sometimes visible” recognizes that often controversy is best handled through individual/direct/non-public pastoral leadership. While many of us are encouraged by visible statements and decisions, either method can accomplish the desired result.
Amen about defending the “hard-earned legacy of Jesuit founders.” So many of today’s religious orders and institutions are in conflict. On one hand there is Georgetown U. On the other hand there is Xavier U and John Carroll U’s public affirmation that insurance coverage will be consistent with Church teachings.
The bishops need to do more than issue lofty messages of repudiation and wash their hands of these institutions if they are serious about defending religious freedom. Indeed the devout Catholic at Notre Dame, Georgetown, DePaul, Boston College, Villanova and the rest cries out for action to bring these schools back into the fold. If the students and professors can’t be guaranteed their rights as Catholics by the shepherds in their own dioceses, then how can one construct a scenario where they will be taken seriously by the rest of the world? There is a nuclear optioning this regard, a complete separation. Let’s find out if the older and more traditional benefactors of Georgetown are as philanthropic if it’s a secular university.
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