While it’s easy to focus on this new commencement controversy, Benedict’s address represents another skirmish in more than two decades of conflict between Rome and liberal Catholics entrenched on many college and university campuses. At the heart of the conflict is a 1990 “apostolic constitution” on education issued by Pope John Paul II entitled “Ex Corde Ecclesiae (From the Heart of the Church).”
That document contains numerous statements that trouble American academics, including this one: “Catholic teaching and discipline are to influence all university activities, while the freedom of conscience of each person is to be fully respected. Any official action or commitment of the University is to be in accord with its Catholic identity.”
Read it all and make sure to follow the link to the Pope’s full address if you have not yet read it.
When I graduated from law school I worked for the Supreme Court as a staff attorney handling primarily criminal cases. The Chief Justice and the Asociate Justices had a number of rules and regulations we had to follow. They also had their personal quirks which we had to be attuned to. We could be terminated if we didn’t follow the rules. If we didn’t like the rules or the environment we could quit. So please explain the problem again. I seem to be confused.
True. If the universities don’t like it, there is an easy solution – sever their relationship with the Roman Catholic Church. Or, in the case of individual academics, transfer to a non-Catholic institution.