‘Pruning’ Colleges

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS, Nov. 3 — Archbishop Michael Miller, the secretary of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education, predicted recently that Pope Benedict XVI might favor “evangelical pruning” of Catholic colleges that are not upholding the faith.

He told an audience at the University of Notre Dame that “the measure of an institution can be judged by its Catholic integrity.”

Once a school compromises its Catholic identity, the archbishop continued, “the burden of proof falls” on it to demonstrate a commitment to the faith by “making positive changes.”

Is it Plagiarism?

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, Oct. 15 — An audio copy of Father Lawrence Biondi's homily at St. Louis Univeristy's Mass of the Holy Spirit to initiate the academic year shows that about one-third of his talk was taken directly and without any citation from a homily given for the identical purpose in 2004 at the University of San Francisco by Father Stephen Privett.

Both priests are presidents of their respective Jesuit institutions, and they have standing permission to borrow from each other's homilies, which are posted on their respective university websites.

Father Privett took no offense to the use of his work, which was first reported on by St. Louis's undergraduate newspaper “without any sense of outrage on campus,” reported the Post-Dispatch in its lengthy follow-up.

“There's no canon law about this,” said Catholic University of America's Father Donald Heet, president of the Catholic Association of Teachers of Homiletics. “But, at best, it's irresponsible … and lousy preaching.”

Christianity 101

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, Oct. 25 — In what is believed to be a first at a public university in the United States, the university branch at Chapel Hill has launched an interdisciplinary academic minor in the study of Christianity and culture.

The curriculum “is designed not to influence or change students’ religious faith … but to enhance their knowledge of the role of Christianity over time in the context,” of many disciplines.

A distinguished speakers series will bring six scholars to campus each year to speak on Christianity on society.

Doctrine Degree

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY, Oct. 31 — In an effort to provide a stronger preparation for parochial school teachers and catechists, the Jesuit university in Milwaukee introduced this fall a new master of arts in Christian doctrine (MACD).

The degree is designed to prepare religion teachers for Catholic grade schools and high schools and for catechists.

The MACD curriculum takes a “creedal form,” starting with God “and ending with eternal life,” said Patrick Carey, professor of theology at Marquette.

Kennedy & Vouchers

THE WASHINGTON POST, Oct. 21 — Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., normally an opponent of school vouchers, has infuriated liberal allies by introducing a “pragmatic” measure to direct government funds to private schools in Louisiana as a way to assist students displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

The bill — part of a larger recovery bill — calls for both public and private schools already hosting displaced students to be reimbursed $6,000 for each student they have taken in. Most private schools in Louisiana are Catholic.