There has been speculation lately that Pope Benedict XVI will publicly chastise Catholic college presidents when he meets with them at The Catholic University of America (CUA) on Thursday. In fact, a scolding is highly unlikely and uncharacteristic of Pope Benedict—but that’s not to say he won’t be urging reform.
Pope Benedict’s manner of address is typically forward-looking, calling God’s people to something better, to that which is attained by a sincere and obedient love of Jesus Christ.
Even so, a declining but still-dominant faction of Catholic college presidents know that Pope Benedict can hardly be pleased with many of their institutions, which often pose serious conflicts with Catholic teachings and morals.
Problems include dissident Catholic professors, especially theologians, who undermine the Church’s teaching on serious moral issues like abortion, embryonic stem cell research and marriage. By choosing honorees, lecturers and commencement speakers who are public abortion-rights advocates, some Catholic educators flagrantly disregard the U.S. bishops’ 2004 mandate against such honors. Widespread sexual activity in the residence halls and annual performances of the vile play The Vagina Monologues are signs of the moral decay on many Catholic campuses.
For 18 years, the Vatican has sought full compliance with Ex corde Ecclesiae, the Church’s guidelines for Catholic higher education. Pope Benedict has also spent the past year lamenting a “great educational emergency,” the failure of schools and society to teach the truth about God and the hope of Christianity.
Predictions that Pope Benedict will address the challenge of Catholic identity at America’s Catholic colleges and universities have come from several Catholic college presidents and the Pope’s ambassador to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi. Last month CUA President Father David O’Connell told The Washington Post (“Catholic College Leaders Expect Pope to Deliver Stern Message,” 3/14/08) that the Vatican is concerned about the decline of Catholic faculty and rampant moral relativism at colleges and universities that ought to be teaching Catholic doctrine as truth.
Some have predicted that Pope Benedict may instead only focus on celebrating Catholic education. There is reason for celebration: The dozen new Catholic colleges and universities founded in the U.S. over the last 40 years, most of them featured in The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, are enthusiastically Catholic and academically superb. Many other historically Catholic colleges like CUA are rediscovering their roots. Scandals like The Vagina Monologues and pro-abortion commencement speakers are on the decline.
Nevertheless, while Pope Benedict is unlikely to dwell on negatives, he is also unlikely to ignore the need for reform. His address to the Society of Jesus in February is a case in point: With praise for their good works, Pope Benedict reminded the Jesuits of their special vow of obedience to him and their obligation to teach authentic Catholic theology. His displeasure with the order’s failings in these areas was apparent.
The presidents of those Catholic colleges and universities that clearly do not conform to the Vatican’s standards are understandably nervous, or at least embarrassed. The protest against “mindless dogmatism” by Patricia McGuire, president of the District’s Trinity University, in Sunday’s Washington Post (“Freedom and Faith on Campus,” 4/13/08) is especially telling. Too many Catholic college presidents elevate scientific evidence over theological truths which were revealed by God, as if the latter truths cannot be defended.
The result is distrust in the possibility of authentic Catholic education. Contrast this with Pope Benedict’s confidence in the perfect unity of faith and reason. His vision for Catholic higher education is the prescription for the Church in the 21st century—and those Catholic colleges and universities that fail to follow this brilliant professor-Pope will be the poorer for it.
Patrick J. Reilly is President and founder of The Cardinal Newman Society (www.CardinalNewmanSociety.org), an organization based in Manassas, Virginia, that seeks to renew and strengthen Catholic higher education.
