Pope stresses academic freedom

Pope Benedict XVI met with Catholic university and college presidents to discuss the ideals of Catholic education. His goal addresses the medium between academic freedom and promotion of the truth.

In the anticipation of Pope Benedict XVI’s speech to Catholic university and college presidents, there was a great deal of speculation as to what he would say.

Some thought that he would “crack down” on Catholic education in the United States and say that it is not doing enough to further Catholicism in America, said John Carroll University Religious Studies Professor and Director of the Applied Ethics Program Paul Lauritzen.

"Benedict gave a marvelous address,” Lauritzen said. “It was remarkably well-balanced and there was a commitment to academic freedom, but he still re-affirmed the role of Catholic education as a promotion of the truth,” he added.

The Pope’s address emphasized the need for academic freedom, which is not surprising as he is a former academic, but was rooted in the emphasis to find God in whatever a student is learning.

"While freedom at a school like Yale may be more expansive than at a Catholic institution, academic freedom in a Catholic context makes perfect sense,” Lauritzen said.

He addressed the issue that the challenging part of this doctrine is where to draw the line between academic freedom and Catholic ideals.
“Generally, people wouldn’t disagree that parting from Catholic ideals could be problematic,” Lauritzen said.

However, he did say that JCU does a good job of balancing these two factions of the campus. “The University does a really good job of pursuing truth,” Lauritzen said. “By and large the faculty feels supported to pursue their research and feel like they have freedom in the classroom,” he said.

President of JCU, the Rev. Robert Niehoff, agreed that the University does a good job of living up to the message that Pope Benedict XVI delivered in the speech that he attended. He also offered insight into how JCU will continue to approve their Catholic identity.

“We will continue to strengthen our campus ministry and service programs and enhance our Catholic Studies offerings with the Chair in Catholic Systematic Theology and, I hope soon, a chair in Catholic Social Thought,” said Niehoff.

The Rev. Francis Ryan, assistant English professor and department chair said, “Benedict is not an enemy of academic freedom. He phrases his advice very carefully.”

However, according to Ryan, there are limits to academic freedom. For example, moral limits arise and schools cannot promote murder, Ryan suggested.

He also pointed out the distinction in language that Pope Benedict XVI used in his speech. He urged schools to follow Catholic ideals, not a Catholic doctrine. “John Carroll University adheres to Catholic ideals, but there are places where we fall short,” Ryan said. “Truth invites a response, so we fall short on the appeal of truth to the entire human-being,” Ryan said.

Ryan also pointed out that he thought the letter that Benedict drafted to the Catholic universities and colleges was very “helpful and well thought-out.”
The letter pointed out that it is not a matter of how many Catholic students that an institution has, it is a matter of the conviction that those students hold and while freedom is important, students still need to find God.

“What he was trying to say was that academic freedom and commitment to faith may seem like contradictions, but reason and faith compliment each other,” said Doris Donnelly, religious studies professor and chair of the Cardinal Suenens Center.

“The right wing expected him to critique Catholic education– to ask Catholics to hold the line on abortion and stem cell research,” Donnelly said. “Instead he came out with a pastoral message of understanding,” she said. The expectation of the Pope to come down harshly on Catholic education was due to some of his work as a Cardinal, but he has a different job now, Ryan said.

The Pope asked if faith was tangible at Catholic institutions, liturgically, sacramentally and through prayer.

“We do a good job of that here at JCU,” Ryan said. “Do we need to do more? Yes, we do. But this is a place that is trying really hard and doing a decent job. And we’re doing it together, both believers and non-believers. I wouldn’t be here if we weren’t,” he said.