Texas bishops, academics discuss
mandatum
By RICH HEFFERN
NCR Staff
Archbishop Patrick Flores of San Antonio said he will ask theology
teachers in his archdiocese to sign papers affirming their commitments to teach
authentic Catholic doctrine, as U.S. bishops will soon require, but he
wont propose dismissal for those who refuse to sign. Flores discussed his
approach in an interview with the San Antonio Express-News on
Feb. 13. Flores has jurisdiction over four of the states seven Catholic
institutions of higher education.
Two days later, on Feb. 15, a committee of Texas bishops met with
university presidents in a two-hour, closed-door session at St. Marys
University in San Antonio. San Angelo bishop Michael Pfeifer headed the
committee formed by Texas bishops to deal with the implications of Vatican
rules on who can teach theology at Catholic schools (NCR, Feb. 16).
Pfeifer said the group discussed issues raised by the new
requirement that Catholic theology professors receive a mandatum from
local bishops certifying they will teach authentic Catholic theology. Pfeifer
gave the states Catholic theologians a strong vote of confidence for
their tremendous contributions.
Both Flores and some local theologians, according to the
Express-News, predicted virtually all of San Antonios Catholic
religion educators would sign a statement of fidelity and agree not to
misrepresent Catholic theology when teaching it. Ive been here 30
years, said the archbishop, and weve never had a complaint
about any theology professor.
I told them to think about it for a couple of months and
then wed talk about it again, Flores said. But its
simply a profession of faith, and we make a profession of faith every time we
say the Creed at Mass.
Pfeifer said he foresees that problems will arise only if a formal
complaint is made against a teacher. In that event, university officials would
investigate the complaint, unless it is anonymously submitted. Charles Cotrell,
president of St. Marys University, said that all schools already have
structures in place to insure that professors teach in accordance with their
religious mission. Pfeifer said: Were not going to do this in a
heavy-handed way. We all want to work together to come up with a system
thats mutually acceptable.
Maryknoll Sr. Marcella Hoesl, academic dean and professor of
systematic theology at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, told
NCR she thought both Flores statement and early reports from the
committees meeting seemed positive, showing a deep trust in area
theologians.
Where doctrine is developing, she said, each
issue will have to be dealt with, as it comes up, in situ, by both the ordinary
and by the universities. Thats where the rubber will hit the road. As
this process develops well see its implications clarified.
In mid-June all U.S. bishops will meet in Atlanta to approve
national guidelines. Implementation of the mandatum is to occur one year
after the Vatican approves the plan.
Rich Hefferns e-mail address is
rheffern@natcath.org
National Catholic Reporter, March 2,
2001
|