DEAR BISHOPS
Cadegan, Una M. & Fitz, Raymond L. & Geiger, John O. & Heft, James L. & Tilley, Terrence & Doyle, Dennis M.
DEAR BISHOPS Open letter on Ex corde ecclesiae The current generation in Catholic higher education has been one of growth, debate, and retrieval. It has given rise, especially in the past few...
...This new text made explicit various juridical elements, including the necessity of a mandate for a Catholic theologian...
...The bishops state clearly that the dialogues over the past nine years have been "graced moments," characterized by a genuine openness to a deeper exploration and appropriation of Catholic identity...
...Many suggestions were made by the leaders of Catholic colleges and universities and others to improve the text...
...Commonweal 16 November 5,1999 rely on communion themes to justify the institution of new juridical norms need to pay special attention not only to the types of norms that are established, but also to the process by which they are established, as well as to the legitimate practices, customs, and laws particular to an individual culture and country...
...Communion" is used analogically in the council documents to refer to a complex web of relationships...
...The bishops' newly revised text for the proposed norms— issued on September 21, 1999— includes a number of improvements...
...bishops on the current version of the norms for implementation could hinder our efforts...
...The ACCU text won the full support of the vast majority of presidents...
...The theology of communion (communio) has provided a rich framework for the principles and norms of the Ex corde implementation document...
...The members of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities [ACCU] drafted an alternate set of norms, suggesting specific applications for each of the norms included in Ex corde...
...We offer here a brief reflection on why Catholic higher education will benefit from more time to work out the issues that remain unresolved...
...The authors of this letter have all been engaged with Ex corde since its early drafts, and have been working to implement it since its promulgation...
...Communion themes were intertwined with a stress on the collegial exercise of authority, on the universal call to holiness, on ecumenical progress, and on human solidarity...
...The "theology of communion" at Vatican II overcame ecclesiological approaches that tended to be overly juridical...
...Attention must also be given beforehand to the type of reception the norms will receive, both from those to whom they apply, and from those whose judgment will affect the standing of Catholic higher education...
...On November 16,1996, the U.S...
...It attempts to retain as much of the communio emphasis as possible in a document with explicit juridical norms...
...The bishops of the implementation committee, however, chose to present only the text prepared by their own subcommittee...
...It has given rise, especially in the past few years, to a widespread determination that the religious identity of American Catholic colleges and universities is a gift that must be preserved and handed on...
...bishops overwhelmingly (224-6) approved "Ex corde ecclesiae: An Application to the United States...
...university professor of faith and culture, and chancellor), and Terrence Tilley (chairperson of religious studies...
...Those who This open letter was written by the following officials and faculty members of the University of Dayton: Una M. Cadegan (associate professor of history and American studies), Dennis M. Doyle (associate professor of religious studies), Brother Raymond L. Fitz, S.M...
...The revised text also makes clear that the presidents' concerns about the eligibility of their institutions to receive federal...
...The ACCU believed its suggested norms incorporated the necessary juridical elements...
...However, we are concerned that a November vote by the U.S...
...The text—the result of a long and fruitful dialogue between bishops and presidents of Catholic colleges and universities—stressed a pastoral approach and a continuation of that dialogue...
...president), John O. Geiger (provost), Father James L. Heft, S.M...
...Juridical norms need be framed in the light of how they foster or undermine these relationships...
...A subcommittee composed of canon lawyers produced a new text on October 15,1998...
...That determination has been strengthened by the 1990 apostolic constitution, Ex corde ecclesiae...
...While praising the document, Rome sent it back to the bishops asking them to "incorporate the necessary juridical elements...
Vol. 126 • November 1999 • No. 19
