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Vatican May Cut Ties with Some U.S. Colleges
By Wendi Maloney
Catholic colleges and universities must be identifiably Catholic or face the possibility of “evangelical pruning” by the Vatican, according to Archbishop Michael Miller, who delivered the Terrance Keeley Vatican Lecture at the University of Notre Dame last October. Miller is the secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education. He analyzed the writings of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI, to advise institutions in the United States how the new pope might approach Catholic higher education.
The Observer, Notre Dame’s student newspaper, reported that Miller told his audience that the pope has argued that “it might be better for the church not to expend its resources trying to preserve institutions if their Catholic identity has been seriously compromised. His writings show that a time of purification lies ahead, and this undoubtedly will have some ramifications for Catholic institutions.” Miller said the pope might choose to “prune” institutions whose Catholic identity has been diluted.
Pressure from the Vatican is nothing new for U.S. colleges and universities. In 1990, Pope John Paul II issued an “apostolic constitution” on Catholic higher education titled Ex Corde Ecclesiae. Designed to strengthen ties between the Vatican and Catholic higher education, it requires Catholic professors of theology at Catholic institutions to obtain a “mandate,” or ecclesiastical license, from the local bishop in order to teach. The requirement is meant to ensure that the professors teach “authentic Catholic doctrine” to their students. According to Miller’s speech, the new pope’s agenda extends beyond that goal to larger issues of Catholic identity on campus. Miller also noted that the pope would like to see stronger ties between U.S. and European universities and institutions across the world, especially in impoverished regions of Africa.
In a separate development, the Vatican ordered an inspection of U.S. seminaries and theological schools last fall to look for evidence of homosexuality and for faculty who dissent from church teachings. Teams of bishops and priests are visiting campuses to interview faculty, students, and graduates. This effort follows a widely reported scandal in which Catholic clergy sexually abused children. Critics, pointing out that pedophilia is not associated with a particular sexual orientation, have argued that the Vatican is blaming gay clergy for the scandal instead of acting against church leaders who failed to discipline priests they knew to be abusive. In late November, the Vatican announced a new policy that bans from the priesthood candidates who “practice homosexuality,” have “deep-seated homosexual tendencies,” or support the “so-called gay culture.”
“It’s not certain that the church’s ‘evangelical pruning’ would have much impact on Catholic higher education,” says AAUP staff member Martin Snyder, a former Catholic college president. “The institutional church contributes virtually nothing in either finances or personnel to the vast majority of Catholic colleges and universities. In addition, independent lay boards typically determine institutional policies. External interference from local bishops or pressure groups is likely to encounter board resistance and would certainly raise serious questions about academic freedom.”
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