Posted on 03/08/2008 1:47:19 PM PST by NYer
Pope Benedict XVI will use his trip to America next month to present Catholic educators with a powerful challenge, one whose effects could ripple from Notre Dame, Ind., to Tarrytown, N.Y., prominent Vatican watchers are predicting.
The expected message: Become more Catholic, or else.
In one of just a few major addresses planned for his six-day visit to America, Pope Benedict is scheduled to speak about education at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., before an audience that should include the president of every Catholic college and university in the country, plus representatives from every archdiocese, which oversee Catholic primary and secondary schools.
In what university officials said was the first convening of such a group in 29 years, the address will insert Pope Benedict into an ongoing debate in America regarding how Catholic colleges, universities, and even primary schools should assert their Catholic identities — even as Catholic enrollment declines.
Educators said the pontiff's service as a cardinal in the years before he was elected pope, in 2005, suggest he will enter the debate on the side of increasing so-called Catholicity.
The pope will encourage Catholic educators, but also emphasize the importance of "promoting and strengthening" their Catholic identities, Catholic University's president, David O'Connell, predicted.
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
The president of the Cardinal Newman Society, Patrick Reilly, said Fordham University in New York, his alma mater, is one institution that he hopes will be forced to change by Pope Benedict's address, describing the university as a central offender in terms of violating its Catholic roots.
Fordham's director of communications, Bob Howe, described that charge as ridiculous, saying the university's relationship with Edward Cardinal Egan of the New York Archdiocese as strong and healthy. "There's no way that someone could look at Fordham and say that we are retreating from the Catholic identity," Mr. Howe said.
As for the pope's speech, Mr. Howe made just one prediction: "I don't think us being Catholic enough is the topic of the conversation. That may be what the Cardinal Newman Society would like it to be about. But I don't think they can say or anybody can say what it will be about yet."
If that is the messsage, it is an open question how much Pope Benedict will actually be able to change. Only Catholic University is controlled directly by the Vatican; other colleges have no such ties.
Mr. Reilly said a strong message could still have a powerful influence, affecting the kinds of Catholic universities parents and students choose to attend.
Mr. Maguire, however, said he expects little change.
"People will listen to him, and he'll go back home, and it won't make much difference," he said.
Even The Sun can't resist a little editorializing along with its "reportage."
Woohoo!!! There could not be better news. Catholic schools and universities crank out atheists by the thousands.
Thank God for the Church and the Pope.
**Pope Benedict XVI will use his trip to America next month to present Catholic educators with a powerful challenge, one whose effects could ripple from Notre Dame, Ind., to Tarrytown, N.Y., prominent Vatican watchers are predicting.**
Hopefully Cardinal Mahony will also get the message.
**Catholic schools and universities crank out atheists by the thousands.**
What about the Educator’s Conference in LA?
I attended Villanova University. It was a hotbed of Liberation Theology in the early 70s.
Notice the dig here?
“...the address will insert Pope Benedict into an ongoing debate... [about how Catholic] schools should assert their Catholic identities — even as Catholic enrollment declines.”
Oh, I see. Catholic identity is chasing away students? No, not by a mile. Even if some students left over the Catholic identity, the students who do attend will provide a better and larger Catholic generation of students in the years to come.
I dunno. What about it?
I agree Vlad. Although I am no longer Catholic I think
the Catholic church needs to be more Catholic and conservative if they want to bolster their ranks. In fact I think the increasing numbers of Latin Mass attendees is a good indicator of the need for a more orthodox church and schools.
I predict that ex-priest Daniel Maguire will spend eternity on a dung heap.
Correct. My wife attended an all girls “Catholic” college. Many of the parents sent their daughters there thinking it was an orthodox and safe place. In fact the students there were taught an evil twisted theology mixed with Marxism.
Ten years after my wife graduated, following plumetting enrollment, the school closed. Thanks be to God.
A lot of liberal teaching and no real catechetics materials for Directors of Religious Education.
Also the liturgy is fraught with abuses.
Part II of the Come to Jesus meeting for the Jesuits.
Hey, you are right about that! It’s a travesty. And even more insidious because here were not talking about young adults in college, but children. It’s a huge leftist indoctrination conference that will send tens of thousands of DRE’s and education-related people from all over the world back to their home dioceses full of ignorance, heresy, and worse.
Did you know there is actually a formal organization that was created just to oppose this Mahony perversion fest? They try to counter-act the bad teaching by distributing authentic Catholic literature, taking out ads, informing parishes, etc.
Yes, I came across it recently in an article linked on Spirit Daily. Fairly damaging article for the Educational Conference.
Oh, interesting! Is Spirit Daily a website?
Great, thank you. Have a nice night and don’t forget to “spring ahead”!
-B
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