2008 Woodie Awards
Where the Church and academia meet
Michael Bayer and Nicholas Wheeler
Issue date: 9/25/02 Section: News
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by Michael Bayer and Nicholas Wheeler
During the Middle Ages, Papal announcements carried such weight that a mere decree could cause a king to change his entire system of government to ensure Church backing. A decree issued by the Pontiff could, and did, initiate massive military conflicts, the overthrow of nations, the slaughter of thousands, the conquest of vast territories and other such major events in the history of humankind. Now in modern times, it would be unfair to say that the Holy Father’s words are greeted with a universal shrug of the shoulders, but it would be just as inaccurate to assert that the faithful are waiting in line to buy copies of the latest encyclicals.
That said, fast forward to the year 1990. Pope John Paul II, already the person to occupy the Episcopacy of Rome longer than any other, issued an encyclical that would shake up the theological world a bit more than normal. This document, entitled Ex Corde Eccelesiae, or “From the Heart of the Church,” was an apostolic constitution for all Catholic universities, an ideal vision towards which all such institutions should work.
This vision states the distinguishing features of a Catholic university: Christian inspiration, the pursuit of truth, fidelity to Church; and service and implies that the University itself has a role in securing mandata from its theology professors. The mandatum is an acknowledgement on the part of a Catholic professor teaching a course in Catholic theology that he is in full communion with the Church and that he will not teach as Catholic doctrine anything which is in fact contrary to authentic Catholic doctrine as outlined in the Magisterium of the Church. The encyclical is not, however, a law in the sense that we know the word; rather, it is a general statement that lacks any sort of punishment upon failure to comply. In fact, the encyclical called for the individual conferences of bishops to adopt their own specific application of Ex Corde.
During the Middle Ages, Papal announcements carried such weight that a mere decree could cause a king to change his entire system of government to ensure Church backing. A decree issued by the Pontiff could, and did, initiate massive military conflicts, the overthrow of nations, the slaughter of thousands, the conquest of vast territories and other such major events in the history of humankind. Now in modern times, it would be unfair to say that the Holy Father’s words are greeted with a universal shrug of the shoulders, but it would be just as inaccurate to assert that the faithful are waiting in line to buy copies of the latest encyclicals.
That said, fast forward to the year 1990. Pope John Paul II, already the person to occupy the Episcopacy of Rome longer than any other, issued an encyclical that would shake up the theological world a bit more than normal. This document, entitled Ex Corde Eccelesiae, or “From the Heart of the Church,” was an apostolic constitution for all Catholic universities, an ideal vision towards which all such institutions should work.
This vision states the distinguishing features of a Catholic university: Christian inspiration, the pursuit of truth, fidelity to Church; and service and implies that the University itself has a role in securing mandata from its theology professors. The mandatum is an acknowledgement on the part of a Catholic professor teaching a course in Catholic theology that he is in full communion with the Church and that he will not teach as Catholic doctrine anything which is in fact contrary to authentic Catholic doctrine as outlined in the Magisterium of the Church. The encyclical is not, however, a law in the sense that we know the word; rather, it is a general statement that lacks any sort of punishment upon failure to comply. In fact, the encyclical called for the individual conferences of bishops to adopt their own specific application of Ex Corde.