May 9, 2008

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Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper

Local Catholic higher education leaders share views on papal talk

(PHOTO BY RICK DELVECCHIO/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)

By Rick DelVecchio

Bishop-elect William Justice addressed a May 6 rally defending immigrant rights. The San Francisco Organizing Project and the San Francisco Immigration Legal and Education Network staged the rally on the steps of San Francisco City Hall in response to a federal enforcement action that detained 60 restaurant workers in the Bay Area, including 11 in San Francisco. “We are people of faith here – a faith that says we must treat the alien as brothers and sisters,” Bishop-elect Justice said. “‘I was a stranger, and you loved me,’ Jesus said.” Standing behind Bishop-elect Justice is George Wesolek, director of the archdiocesan Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns.

A warmly pastoral but intellectually imposing Pope Benedict XVI sent a clear message to Catholic higher education leaders during his recent U.S. apostolic visit: pursue knowledge where you will, but know all roads lead to the transcendent truth of Christ. In his April 17 talk to nearly 600 educators at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., the pope celebrated the special mission Catholic colleges and universities have to bring that truth into a fragmented world and to form human character. At the same time he softly placed a challenge—he phrased it as an opportunity—on the table: In the pursuit of knowledge, some activities support the mission to reveal objective truth and build conscience. Some may obstruct or betray it. Know the difference.

SPECIAL REPORT The pope did not list criticisms of Catholic colleges and universities, and he did not offer recipes for proper or questionable uses of academic freedom. At a time when critics have said too many Catholic universities have lost their focus on Church teaching, the pope was concerned not with management choices but with the strength of the faith that must inform those choices on Catholic campuses. “A university or school’s Catholic identity is not simply a question of the number of Catholic students,” he said in a muchquoted phrase. “It is a question of conviction. Do we really believe that only in the mystery of the Word Made Flesh does the mystery of man truly become clear? Are we ready to commit our entire self – intellect and will, mind and heart – to God? Do we accept the truth Christ reveals? Is the faith tangible in our universities and schools?” For James Donahue, a Catholic theo-

logian who is president and professor of theology and ethics at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, the message was substantive and deserves careful thought. “Universities explore ideas and explore cultural forms of ideas,” he said. “The concerns will be: ‘What are the legitimate expressions of the search for truth?’ It’s not so much ‘this is true, this is not true,’ but what counts for a legitimate expression of that.” How Benedict would have campuses respond to these questions is unclear, Donahue said. Schools must do this work themselves in choosing, for example, which speakers and which academic and cultural activities align with Catholic identity. “It seems to me the conversation in Catholic higher education will be how to assess what are legitimate expressions of the search for truth,” he said. “The question will be whether or not certain expressions of culture will be seen as legitimate and authentic manifestations of the search for truth – (such as) issues of sexuality, reproductive rights. “I think the questions that will need to be explored include: ‘Are there any boundaries for academic freedom, and what does one claim in the name of academic freedom?’ ‘Are there some claims that are irresponsible in the name of academic freedom?’” Donahue said. Catholic San Francisco asked the presidents of four Bay Area Catholic institutions of higher education – St. Mary’s College of California in Moraga, Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, the University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University – if they felt the pope’s talk pointed to the need to make any immediate changes in their academic mix or campus culture. All said they felt it did not. ”As I read through it I saw a number of VIEWS ON PAPAL TALK, page 11

Mother’s Day A wonderful legacy of faith, hope and service By Lisa M. Petsche My paternal grandmother died 19 years ago, at age 81. This year marks the 100th anniversary of her birth. To honor her life and her legacy, one of my uncles is compiling a booklet of memories. Grandma was one of seven children, born and raised on a farm in Austria. She came to North America in her early twenties, securing employment as a domestic worker until her marriage. Her

first child, my father, was born in the middle of The Great Depression. Grandma bore 13 children in all - 10 more than I have. I’m amazed that she managed to ensure everyone’s needs were met, especially without the many conveniences today’s mothers take for granted. She and Grandpa were still raising children when the grandkids began arriving. Despite the sacrifices her life involved, Grandma was never MOTHER’S DAY, page 10

Alex and Lisa Petsche are pictured on their wedding day with Lisa’s grandmother who would have turned 100 this year.

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION ‘Torture Trial’ talk . . . . . . . . . 7 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Pope’s U.S. visit. . . . . . . . . . 17

Clergy appointments Care of dying: minister to spirit ~ Page 6 ~ May 9, 2008

~ Page 9 ~

Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Day in the life of an urban chaplain ~ Pages 12-13 ~ SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS

Classified ads . . . . . . . . 22-23 Travel ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 10

No. 16


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