In an article for America Magazine, Los Angeles Auxilliary Bishop Thomas Curry, the U.S. bishops’ education committee chair, considers how the “overreaching” of the National Labor Relations Board in deciding that two Catholic colleges are not Catholic relates to Catholic identity. From the article:
One can readily agree that there is a distinction between catechesis and theology. However, that in itself will not address the issue of when and how a college is Catholic. One college noted that it promoted the “idea of Catholicism.” For government, the world of ideas is beyond its ken. What government has to focus on is what the Constitution calls “overt” actions. That might be a good launching platform for a discussion involving bishops and colleges.
Respecting academic freedom but also mindful of the “collective responsibility of theologians” and prudence in the “presentation of open, controversial, theological issues to Catholic laypeople” bishops and colleges might ask what overt actions should colleges require teachers to follow or avoid remembering that most students will not become professional theologians. In this, the sensus fidelium might well be consulted, particularly those members of the faithful who decide to support their children in Catholic colleges and universities.
Even in the absence of religious requirements, the government may not judge the Catholicity of colleges or universities but it can decide that how they define themselves has no relevance to the government’s authority to involve itself in their management. Without religious requirements they are, in fact no different from secular colleges.
Adam Wilson
CNS Staff
Matthew Archbold
Charlotte Hays
4 Comments
Basically Governments have a moral responsibility to provide financial support to Catholic Colleges, Catholics pay taxes but that is where it stops, absolutely no meddling in Catholic Curriculum, we obey authorities in as much as those laws are in sinc. with Cannon Law. time to thro. down the gauntlet
Clearly governments do not have a moral responsibility to fund a Catholic school. A school also should not claim catholicity to avoid legal or tax responsibilities if that claim is not substantiated by actions that make the school truly Catholic. This seems morally wrong as well. The question is if a school is truly Catholic, then how much leverage should the government have to intervene in its teaching if federal tuition support or other money is accepted by the school? If a school chooses to accept tax dollars then it is reasonable that they accept some level of influence. The debate should be how much. If a school wants no outside interfeence then it must be willing to not accept tax dollars. That is fair and reasonable. What is more important the money or the religious freedom.
Sad to say many so called Catholic(In name only) colleges cause their own problems. Many have in public and in practice abandoned the faith long ago as St.Louis Univ.(Missouri) Mahatanville and Manhattan Marymount in New York have done so openly. Hesberg and his ilk clergy-college officials etc. did the same thing to Notre Dame(Land O lakes declaration) as did Marquette, Santa Clara etc.. Having abandoned the faith so long ago, now they want to avoid- NLRB unions etc.. It is too late now that they want to be Catholic once again.IN REALITY for the aforementioned colleges the barn door was opened long ago and the Catholic identity horse has long vanished there.. Only if they all sign Excl. Corda and fire heterodox clergy- ex catholics like McBrien-ND, Timpanelli at Santa Clara and Wild-McQuire at Marquette can they ever be seriously considered a “Catholic institution” again by the NLRB or anyone else. Sincerely Ed M. Waterbury, Ct.;
The good bishop has to look no further than next door at LMU to find a school that ignores its Catholic heritage. It has a LGBT office, has had commencement speakers who are pro-abortion and favor same-sex marriage, has programs in Yoga and Zen, etc. Academic freedom is more important than having their teachers sign a mandatum, too (of course). Surely this is why the government questions many of these colleges being Catholic – so do most Catholics!