Notre Dame's Watershed Moment
school's debate about "academic freedom," which encompasses the history of performances of the Vagina Monologues, programs supporting a homosexual lifestyle, and faculty members speaking out against Church teaching.
It states that for students to thrive at this school, they need a good Catholic formation, and the "exercise of caution in their course selections and social life."
Truth
As a student, Daly acknowledged that the university lacks resources for "students to actually learn about their Catholic faith." The senior said: "We need to know what the teachings are, how the doctrine was arrived at, and how sometimes standing up for truth requires us to be somewhat counter-cultural.I think students at Notre Dame are interested in their religion and are looking for truth."
What we need from the university, she said, on top of all the beautiful buildings and shrines, is the truth.Daly reported that every student is required to take two theology classes and two philosophy courses, but most do not receive "very high quality" courses in these subject areas.She explained that often the introductory course instructors will "give their interpretation" on matters of faith.
Although we "cannot inhibit freedom of speech," she said, "it can be very misleading and disadvantageous to those students" who are not already educated in Catholic theology and philosophy to be presented with personal opinions of instructors.
The Newman guide reports that Catholic professors number around 53% of the total faculty, but noted that Father Jenkins launched an initiative to strengthen the hiring of Catholic faculty.As well, due to his actions, this year marked the first time in eight years that the Vagina Monologues student production was canceled. Steps such as these are inspiring hope for Notre Dame's future as a Catholic university.
Carozza expressed this hope, noting that "one can see here all sorts of signs that Christ is present in the life of the university as a university." He noted that this is "evident in relationships among faculty and students, in classrooms, and in research programs." Carozza acknowledged some "extremely weighty and difficult challenges" in reaching this ideal, including the "dualism between faith and reason that pervades universities and modern life generally."
The professor also noted the difficulty in "understanding and accepting that communion with the Church is not a limitation or restriction on the nature of the university but the opposite -- it is a condition of freedom and a safeguard of reason." He concluded that these "weaknesses begin in our own hearts, in our personal incapacity, and that is the first place where they need to be met."
Franciscan Father John Coughlin, Notre Dame law professor, echoed this hopeful vision, stating to ZENIT that "prayer is the key to the challenges ahead at our beloved Notre Dame."
There is no "magic plan or program," he said, but the hope for the university lies in "humble prayer to the Sacred Heart and pro-life action based on the reality of people struggling to be saints."
"Hope is a theological virtue," the priest said, that "stems from humble prayer" and "must also be based in reality."
"The fact that there are so many excellent Catholic professors and students" is "the reality upon which I base my hope for a lively Catholic faith at the university," he affirmed.Father Coughlin added, "We can be the yeast in the dough that becomes the Bread of Life."
Daly, who helped organize a 3,000-strong rally on graduation day to support Notre Dame's pro-life, Catholic identity, affirmed that "there is great support for Notre Dame to do something profound, sincere and real to commit itself to the pro-life cause, and by default to fidelity to the Church."
"Notre Dame needs to celebrate its Catholic identity," she stated. "In an age when diversity is so highly valued, Notre Dame should flaunt its uniqueness as a Catholic institution and refuse to fall in step with other 'prestigious' universities."
The senior asserted, "What makes Notre Dame special is its commitment to the 'pursuit and sharing of the truth for the sake of itself.'It "needs to return to the basics of what it means to be Catholic, and what it means to be a Catholic university," Daly said.
She added some suggestions for enhancing the school's Catholic identity: "increase the presence of Catholic faculty on campus, make a public statement that confirms they will never participate in embryonic stem cell research, appoint a pro-life ombudsperson, [and] host leaders from the Church at the university so that they can teach young Catholics how they should act in a modern society."
Rate This Article
1 - 10 of 12 Comments
Leave a Comment
More College & University News
- Archbishop José H. Gomez at Franciscan University: In this Time of Mission
- Brother and Sister Plant It Forward at UST
- UST's Macias Accepted to Thomistic Seminar
- UST's Taco Tasting Raises $35,000 for Scholarships
- Hattrup Dissertation Unanimously Passed at UST
- Learning Knows No Age for Grad
- UST Grad Speaker Highlights Leading with Faith, Character
- College Students: Promote Human Dignity, Boycott Study Abroad Programs in China
- Environmental Science Grad Loves Conservation
Featured News
- Fr. Paul Schenck: Finding Living Faith on Catechetical Sunday
- The Movie Yellow: Incest as 'Normal' and Cassavates's Slides Into the World of Woes
- The Chicago School Teachers Strike Reveals the Need For School Choice
- The Sexual Barbarians and the Dissolution of Culture
- The Happy Priest Challenges Us to Ask: Who is Jesus to Me?
- Michael Coren on Canadian Public Schools: Teachers, leave those kids alone
- We Cannot Ignore Our Consciences: Cardinal Dolan On Religious Liberty
- In the Face of Danger, Successor of Peter Travels to Lebanon as a Messenger of Peace
- Reflections on the Dignity and Vocation of Women: Who or What?
Proponents of Presidents Obama speaking at ND stated that this will start a dialogue on life issues: I am waiting to see it happen?!
Janusz Zak
I agree with Cathleen, and will go a step further...All this article did is "prance around" the real issues...It hit the PC things and stays out the real issues ..That is "Jenkins purposely did this behind the Bishops back as a statement of ND's independence.." Now how its handled will determine whether this is a "watershed" or not..Prayer is fine and needed but more direct action is called for...Jenkins should be saying Mass in Outer Mongolia for the remainder of his career, or just thrown out for thumbing his nose at Bishop D'Arcy...
TO: ED BURKE, I do not mean any offense to you...but are you serious??? If I have read your comment correctly, it is as if you see things completely opposite of the truth. This leadership has made it clear that they do not value the lives of the unborn and will do whatever is necessary to promote a culture of death and convenience. Please correct me if I read your comments incorrectly. Otherwise, if you are a Christian who walks with Our Lord...please consider expanding your knowledge base to truly 'see' what is going on.
Notre Dame needs to take responsbility for their action in having president Obama come there and for letting him step foot on their property and that platform. It is against their morals and values and regulations that they have. They went against that and protestors against abortion were arrested on their property. That should have never happened. If they don't wish to be a Catholic University, then they need to change that. They should be ashamed to say they are a Catholic University. The decision to have him there was not the decision of any Catholic I know. Sincerly, Kelly Key
Where is the much lauded eloquence and smarts of our nation's president? Lincoln said exquisitely "a nation divided against itself cannot stand." Today what do we get..."our views are irreconcilable," but I'm president so I win, but I'll toss you a bone, a "sensible" conscience clause(whatever that means). End of discussion, end of the national public square. Suddenly even a nation divided looks pretty good.
Fire the lot, close it down. Turn it in to a school, that teaches, what it means to be Catholic, and belive in "Christ".
Just want to say Thank You Jesus for our New & Better President who is trying to End the Iraq War that Pope John Paul II warned George W. Bush was an Unjust war, before Bush pre-Emptively Invaded and attacked Iraq.
Thank You Lord of Mercy for a New & Better Leader who hears the Cry of the poor and doen't try to dismantel every social support program that some desperate single mother might need after NOT ABORTING her baby.
Thank You Holy Spirit for helping the Voters of America to select a wiser, more compassionate President who has no history as as Governor Death Penalty.
The Father of our Lord & Savior Jesus and indeed of us all, is indeed with us and caring for us as always !
Action speaks louder than word. It will remain to be seen. It may be true the university hired more Catholic professors, but of what quality? Sibelious, Pelozzi, Kerry, Kennedy? Or Giulliani? Also where will these faculties be involve in?
I hope and pray, they are not the Fr. Jenkins type of Catholics and that they be involve in the religious life of the students.
TO: the "Forty seniors -- out of a graduating class of more than 2,900 -- (who)boycotted the ceremony." You are to be congratulated for a job well done by completing your studies. More importantly, you stood up for integrity and allowed yourselves to be counted as faithful Christians. Further, you missed a special event to be held in your honor; your graduation ceremony. While this may seem obvious, I have no doubt that special blessings will come your way for your courageous decision. May God bless each of you abundantly!
If the professor's don't evangelize the student's, then it becomes like any other university, and all it's secular trap's and vice's, the pull for the way's of the world on young impressionable mind's is too strong in many case's, of course it start's at home during there up-bringing, with or without a strong christian base with which to build on, when they leave for college. The bottom line is the buck should stop at Notre Dame, the Pope need's to lead strongly in this regard, I feel.