The presidents of Boston College and the University of 91吃瓜 on Friday published an article saying that the latest guidelines proposed to carry out a Papal document are 鈥減ositively dangerous鈥� to Roman Catholic institutions in America.p. The Rev. Edward A. Malloy, president of 91吃瓜, and the Rev. J. Donald Monan, chancellor of Boston College, say the guidelines threaten academic freedom and independent governance at Catholic institutions. They wrote about their objections to the guidelines inn article in the Jesuit magazine America.p. The guidelines that Father Malloy and Father Monan criticize were issued in November and are aimed at carrying out Ex corde Ecclesiae, a document released by Pope John Paul II in 1990 that is intended to define the relationship between the church and Catholic institutions of higher education throughout the world.p. Although the two men say the document issued in November is 鈥渇orceful鈥� in its defense of academic freedom, they claim that itcontradicts itself in several ways. In particular, the documentwould require theology professors at Catholic institutions to 鈥渉avea mandate from the competent ecclesiastical authority,鈥� something Father Malloy and Father Monan object to. They also criticize thedocument鈥檚 suggestion that theology professors 鈥渕ake a profession of faith and take an oath of fidelity,鈥� and that colleges 鈥渃ondition a professor鈥檚 appointment on integrity of doctrine and good character.鈥� At a meeting in November where American bishops debated the proposed guidelines, the head of the Cardinal Newman Society for the Preservation of Catholic Higher Education embraced them. Because Catholic colleges and universities 鈥渂elong to a much larger community and mission, it is reasonable and necessary for these schools to have an official connection to the church and to live up to general standards,鈥� said Mo Fung, executive director of the society.p. But in their article, Father Malloy and Father Monan say that the document, if approved by American bishops, 鈥渨ould be profoundly detrimental to Catholic higher education.鈥� They add: 鈥淯niversities鈥� acceptance of the obligations spelled out here would mean the sacrifice of many of those prerogatives that make Catholic universities and their professional staffs the respected and influential members of the higher education community that they are.鈥�
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