Vatican considering changes to Catholic colleges

by Ad;lm Greenberg assistant a&e editor

The Vatican has urged Catholic colleges and universities to strengthen their religious identity in preparation for the coming Millennium.

In the two parts of the document "Ex Corde Ecclesiae," Pope John Paul II has defined the identity,mission and general norms for Catholic universities.and institutes of higher education.

Many presidents of the United States' Catholic colleges and universities are seeking compromise with the Vatican's proposal, according to an article in the National Catholic Reporter. There are fears, according to the article, that academic freedom would be threatened by a requirement that persons teaching theological subjects must have a mandate from a "competent ecclesiastical authority," typically a local bishop.

However, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago said in the article that this mandate does not give a bishop any real governing power at a school.

There are three standards proposed by a committee of American bishops that concern educators, according to a recent article in the New York Times. The first is that all university and college presidents be "faithful Catholics" and that new presidents take an oath of loyalty to the church. The second is the requirement that theology professors be approved by church officials. The last standard is that colleges and universities should attempt to populate their faculties and boards of trustees with a majority of ''faithful Catholics."

Dr. Margaret McGuinness, department chair of religious studies, said that the first draft of this document was issued in 1990 in response to the feeling that the identity of Catholic colleges and universities was weakening.

McGuinness said that the reason this issue is getting attention at this time is because an implementation committee of bishops has begun to make recommendations about how to fulfill the goals set forth in "Ex Corde Ecclesiae."

As a Catholic college, what does this mean for Cabrini?

"It's a chance to look at what makes us different from nonCatholic schools," McGuinness said.

She said that Cabrini will respond by establishing a Catholic identity work group, which she will co-chair with Dr. Myrna Grandgenett, special assistant to the president for mission integration. Goals of the group will be to determine what the school should be doing and attempting to define what it means to be Catholic, according to McGuinness.

"I don't think we've gotten away from Catholicism," McGuinness said. She pointed to Cabrini's campus ministry,the seminar 300 courses and the overall commitment of the school to principles of social justice as evidence.

McGuinness said that ''Ex Corde Ecclesiae" will hopefully prompt Catholic colleges and universities to re-examine their mission, resulting in strengthened schools.

Grandgenett said that she thinks the Pope wrote this document in an effort to clarify the meaning of Catholic identity.

"A lot of Cabrini's mission statement is very consistent with it," she said.

As co-chair of the Catholic identity work group, Grandgenett said it would be important to determine what exactly Cabrini has to focus on as far as its Catholic identity. She said that one option might be to incorporate community service requirements throughout the curriculum to further emphasize social justice.

Grandgenett said that "Ex Corde Ecclesiae" also aims to ensure that religious studies are consistent with the Catholic Church. She said that one criterion is that professors of theology should be in commune with the church. While some interpreted this to mean that all of these professors should be Catholic, Grandgenett said that that is not necessarily part of the actual document.

There are many misconceptions about what is in the document and what is being lobbied, according to Grandgenett.

"I don't think there will come a time when you will have to sign a loyalty oath," she said.

She said that she feels the Pope was giving a challenge to schools for the next century. Cabrini will be answering that challenge, according to Grandgenett, by developing a Catholic identity statement, evaluating the curriculum, defining spirituality for both Catholic and nonCatholic individuals and reinforcing an understanding about the Missionary Sisters' work.

Another possibility suggested by Grandgenett is that Cabrini will be more selective in hiring individuals who demonstrate a strong commitment to the school's core values.

Although Cabrini will be reassessing its religious connection, Grandgenett said that the college is already making steps to accurately reflect the Pope's vision.

"I think Cabrini is in good condition;' she said.

• No4-cbrittiu/ Penoml U.al:oo1'D.

[]R.oma,a C&tbolic E301hff