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The Pope and U.S. Catholic Universities
One of them is American priest Peter Phan, a professor of theology at Georgetown, whose 2004 book "Being Religious Interreligiously" was heavily criticized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and prompted a review notification by the Vatican. "I was surprised," says Phan. "What I wrote fell in line with the church, and I never set out to change doctrine. They asked me to make changes, and the matter is still open." Phan is still teaching at Georgetown as the review continues, but he doesn't know for how long. "Nothing is ever closed in Rome. There are steps they take to an investigation; you never face accusations like you would in a court of law." According to Phan the Vatican can directly remove a professor from a seminary or a pontifical college like Catholic University, where the degrees are granted by the Vatican.
The number rebuked under Benedict has been low, says National Catholic Reporter's Allen, in part because the Vatican now prefers that the cases be handled by local bishops conferences, and is also reluctant to impose disciplinary measures on a theologian. "The Vatican today typically restricts itself to a critical notice about a given book, the idea being to make clear that it's doctrinal errors, not people, that it's trying to combat." While the emphasis is for bishops or universities to handle the problem, the pope himself is still the ultimate arbiter. "It's not clear the pope directly has the authority to fire somebody," Allen says. "But if the Vatican makes a full-court press to get rid of someone, then ultimately that person is probably not long for this world."
Washington, D.C., Archbishop Donald Wuerl, who also serves the largely ceremonial role of chancellor of Catholic University, says there is general intellectual excitement on Catholic campuses, where students and professors are searching for a deeper sense of identity. Part of that search, Wuerl says, involves watching professors closely. "You couldn't have a good law class where the professor said, 'I'm going to teach you what I think the Supreme Court should have said, so forget all these rulings. I'll teach what the law should be.' I think after a while the university would say, 'We need to shape up this law school'." As Wuerl explains it, it's the same thing for Catholic universities. If the pope issues an encyclical, that should become an ordinary part of theology class. "And if someone rejects that, the university has to look the same way they'd look at a law professor that rejects the Supreme Court."
Georgetown student De La Garza might see things a bit differently. While she doubts that her theology class, with its devil's advocate challenges to faith and reason, would please the pope, she says that "only at Georgetown have I been able to explore religion on my own, something that wasn't available to me at my Catholic high school." And that open-ended exploration actually has her thinking more deeply about her beliefs than ever before. "I think it has enriched my faith. I don't think my relationship with the Vatican or the pope or the hierarchy of the church is really all that important. It has to do more with my relationship with God."
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Posted By: dchappy@hotmail.com @ 04/19/2008 2:54:17 PM
Comment: AFTER ALL A COWARD HAS COME OUT OF THE LUXURIOUS CAVE WITH A COSTLY SUN GLASS AND A COSTLY ROB BEING WELCOMED BY A WOLF WHOSE WHOLE CABINET WAS AND IS FULL OF HOMOSEXUALS INCLUDING ALL THE BISHOPS AND CARDINAL AND MINISTERS AND ALL CHURCH PEOPLE. THIS COWARD, IF HE KNEW HIS JOB AS TO WHAT POPE MEANS AND HIS DUTIES AND RESPOSIBILTY IS THEN HE SHOULD HAVE KICKED SOME BASTARD BISHOPS RIGHT ON THE SPOT THOISE AT FAULT AND SHOULD HAVE GIVEN A TIGHT SLAP ON THE PRESIDENT WHO KEPT THE GAYS AND,LEISBIANS IN THE CABINATE. IF HE COULD NOT DO THAT THEN SHOULD HAVE SAID WHAT CHRISTNITY THE RELIGION MEANS AND ASKED ALL CHRISTIAN TO KICK OUT THESE BLOODY INCESTERS OUT OF AMERICA AND GO TO THEIR COUNTRY IF AT ALL THEY HAVE ANY. IT IS A SHAME THAT THE MIGHTY LEADER ADOLF HILTLER OF HIS COUNTRY GOT THESE SWINES (THE SON HAVING SEX WITH MOTHER AND DAUGHTER WITH FATHER AND BROTHER WITH OWN SISTER ) OUT OF HIS COUNTRY AND THIS FOOL COULD NOT WARN THE CHRISTIAN COUNTRIES TO REFRAIN FROM MIXING WITH THIS DECEASED CRIMALS OF THE LOWEST ORIGINAL OF SO CALLED HUMAN BUT INFACT ANIMALS. ISN'T IT A SHAME FOR A POPE WHO EVEN COULDN''T SPEAK THE TRUTH ON THE FACE OF THE CULPRITS. IS HE THE SAME WHO DEFAMED A PROPHET AND THEN HE PRAYED TO BE PARDONED. HELL WITH THIS RELIGION WITH GAY LEISBIANS AND POPE WITH ALL BISHOPS AND CHURCH PEOPLE WITH SEX SCANDLE ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT PROPHETJESUS(PEACE BE UPON HIS SOUL) WOULD HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE AND WOULD HAVE PRAYED TO GOD TO ELLIMINATE THE FOLLOWERS FROM THE EARTH, WHICH I AM SURE HIS SOUL MUST BE NOW PRAYING GOD ALMIGHTY NOW.
MR. EDITOR NEWS WEEK TRY AND BLCKOUT MY COMMENT AS YOU NORMALLY DO TO MY COMMENTS IF YOU DON'T KEEP IT, THEN WHY YOU ASK FOR IT. YOU EXPECT ME TO KISS YOU AND WRITE GOOD THINGS ABOUT A GROSSLY WRONG THING. FORGET IT, YOU TAKE TO BLACK OUT AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I WRITE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR NACKED MAID THAT YOU KEEP IN YOUR HOUSE.. D C HAPPY
Posted By: dchappy@hotmail.com @ 04/19/2008 2:53:57 PM
Comment: AFTER ALL A COWARD HAS COME OUT OF THE LUXURIOUS CAVE WITH A COSTLY SUN GLASS AND A COSTLY ROB BEING WELCOMED BY A WOLF WHOSE WHOLE CABINET WAS AND IS FULL OF HOMOSEXUALS INCLUDING ALL THE BISHOPS AND CARDINAL AND MINISTERS AND ALL CHURCH PEOPLE. THIS COWARD, IF HE KNEW HIS JOB AS TO WHAT POPE MEANS AND HIS DUTIES AND RESPOSIBILTY IS THEN HE SHOULD HAVE KICKED SOME BASTARD BISHOPS RIGHT ON THE SPOT THOISE AT FAULT AND SHOULD HAVE GIVEN A TIGHT SLAP ON THE PRESIDENT WHO KEPT THE GAYS AND,LEISBIANS IN THE CABINATE. IF HE COULD NOT DO THAT THEN SHOULD HAVE SAID WHAT CHRISTNITY THE RELIGION MEANS AND ASKED ALL CHRISTIAN TO KICK OUT THESE BLOODY INCESTERS OUT OF AMERICA AND GO TO THEIR COUNTRY IF AT ALL THEY HAVE ANY. IT IS A SHAME THAT THE MIGHTY LEADER ADOLF HILTLER OF HIS COUNTRY GOT THESE SWINES (THE SON HAVING SEX WITH MOTHER AND DAUGHTER WITH FATHER AND BROTHER WITH OWN SISTER ) OUT OF HIS COUNTRY AND THIS FOOL COULD NOT WARN THE CHRISTIAN COUNTRIES TO REFRAIN FROM MIXING WITH THIS DECEASED CRIMALS OF THE LOWEST ORIGINAL OF SO CALLED HUMAN BUT INFACT ANIMALS. ISN'T IT A SHAME FOR A POPE WHO EVEN COULDN''T SPEAK THE TRUTH ON THE FACE OF THE CULPRITS. IS HE THE SAME WHO DEFAMED A PROPHET AND THEN HE PRAYED TO BE PARDONED. HELL WITH THIS RELIGION WITH GAY LEISBIANS AND POPE WITH ALL BISHOPS AND CHURCH PEOPLE WITH SEX SCANDLE ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT PROPHETJESUS(PEACE BE UPON HIS SOUL) WOULD HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE AND WOULD HAVE PRAYED TO GOD TO ELLIMINATE THE FOLLOWERS FROM THE EARTH, WHICH I AM SURE HIS SOUL MUST BE NOW PRAYING GOD ALMIGHTY NOW.
MR. EDITOR NEWS WEEK TRY AND BLCKOUT MY COMMENT AS YOU NORMALLY DO TO MY COMMENTS IF YOU DON'T KEEP IT, THEN WHY YOU ASK FOR IT. YOU EXPECT ME TO KISS YOU AND WRITE GOOD THINGS ABOUT A GROSSLY WRONG THING. FORGET IT, YOU TAKE TO BLACK OUT AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I WRITE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR NACKED MAID THAT YOU KEEP IN YOUR HOUSE.. D C HAPPY
Posted By: dchappy@hotmail.com @ 04/19/2008 2:40:53 PM
Comment: AFTER ALL A COWARD HAS COME OUT OF THE LUXURIOUS CAVE WITH A COSTLY SUN GLASS AND A COSTLY ROB BEING WELCOMED BY A WOLF WHOSE WHOLE CABNET WAS AND IS FULL OF HOMOSEXUALS IN CLUDING ALL THE BISHOPS AND CARDINAL AND MINISTERS AND ALL CHURCH PEOPLE. THIS COWARD IF KNEW HIS JOB AS TO WHAT POPE MEANS SHOULD HAVE KICKED SOME BASTARD BISHOPS RIGHT ON THE SPOT THOISE AT FAULT AND SHOULD HAVE GIVEN A TIGHT SLAP ON THE PRESIDENT TO HAVE KEPT THE GAYS AND LEISBIANS IN THE CABINATE. IF HE COULD NOT DO THAT THEN SHOULD HAVE HAVE SAID WHAT CHRISTNITY THE RELIGION MEANS AND ASKED ALL CHRISTIAN TO KICK OUT THESE BLOODY INCESTERS OUT OF AMERICA AND GO TO THEIR COUNTRY IF AT ALL THEY HAVE ANY. IOT IS A SAME THAT THE MIGHTY LEADER ADOLF HILTLER OF HIS COUNTRY GOT THESE SWINES (THE SON HAVING SEX WITH MOTHER AND DAUGHTER WITH FATHER AND BROTHER WITH OWN SISTER ) OUT OF HIS COUNTRY AND THIS FOOL COULD NOT WARN THE CHRISTIAN COUNTRIES TO REFRAIN FROM MIXING WITH THIS DECEASED CRIMALS OF THE LOWEST ORIGINAL OF SO CALLED HUMAN BUT INFACT ANIMALS. ISN' IT A SHAME FOR A POPE WHO EVEN CAN N'T SPEAK THE TRUTH ON THE FACE OF THE CULPRITS. IS HE THE SAME WHO DEFAMED A PROPHET AND THEN SEEKS TO BE PARDONED. HELL WITH THIS RELIGION WITH GAY LEISBIANS AND POPE WITH ALL BISHOPS AND CHURCH PEOPLE WITH SEX SCANDLE ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT PROPHETJESUS(PEACE BE UPON HIS SOUL) WOULD HAVE WOULD HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE AND WOULD HAVE PRAYED TO GOD TO ELLIMINATE THE FOLLOWERS FROM THE EARTH, WHICH I AM SURE HIS SOUL MUST BE NOW PRAYING.
MR. EDITOR NEWS WEEK TRY AND BLCKOUT MY COMMENT AS YOU NORMALLY DO TO MY COMMENTS IF YOU DON'T KEEP IT THE WHY YOU ASK FOR IT. YOU EXPECT ME TO KISS YOU AND WRITE GOOD THINGS ABOUT A GROSSLY WRONG THING. FORGET IT, YOU TAKE TO BLACK OUT AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I WRITE ABOUT YOU AND YOU NACKED WIFE THAT YOU KEEP IN YOUR HOUSE.. D C HAPPY