More on the "Georgetownization" of U.S. Catholic higher education...

Watchdog groups, like the Cardinal Newman Society, provide a helpful service as they report what's really happening on the campuses of the nation's Catholic universities and colleges.  "Helpful" because most of what the watchdogs report would otherwise go unnoticed beyond the perimeters of those institutions, as they continue their trek toward greater secularization.

One problem arising from these exposes, The Motley Monk believes, is that many of these self-appointed watchdogs define success inadquately.

How's that?

Prevailing upon academic administrators at institutions to "pull the plug" on those less-than-Catholic events and programs their institutions are sponsoring.

While The Motley Monk believes the plug should be pulled on those kinds of events and programs, this should not be the sought-after goal.

Likening the Georgtownization of U.S. Catholic higher education to a cancer that is assaulting the human body, the symptoms of the disease must be deal with directly, no doubt about it.  Yes, the events and programs must be canceled.

More importantly, however, the disease itself must be dealt with directly, for it is threatening the life of its host's body.  Various pharmacological medicines must be introduced, nutrition must be maintained, elements of a healthy lifestyle must be practiced, and the soul must be strengthened to engage in battle against the disease.

 

What does that metaphor connote with regard to the Georgetownization of U.S. Catholic higher education?

Many things, The Motley Monk would argue.  Most importantly, concerning the Boards of Trustees of these institutions:

• Realize these institutions are not spiritually well and have not been for decades.  Seek out assistance about how to set become well again.  This may required Boards to become well themselves!  Reading and constructring a strategy to implement Ex Corde Ecclesiae and Pope Benedict's address to U.S. Catholic educators would be a good place to start.
• For those institutions sponsored by a religious congregation, make the local ordinary an ex officio member of the Board.  With many religious congregations collapsing upon themselves, many no longer can provide the spiritual leadership that is required to bring healing to these institutions.  It is therefore crucial that these institutions, in particular, remain connected with the Church's educational mission.  The local bishop provides that connection as well as pastoral guidance.
• Hire for mission.  Knowing what the disease is---secularization---the choice of administrators is nothing short of an imperative, a cultural imperative, meaning "Catholic culture."  Assuming that they are well-trained academics and have administrative experience, those entrusted with executive responsibility in Catholic universities and colleges must be able to provide the spiritual leadership that will nourish their institution's Catholic culture, engage their followers in exercises commensurate with a healthy spiritual lifestyle, and strengthen the souls of their followers to withstand the allures of the prevailing secularist Zeitgeist, particularly its utilitarian aspect which values education as a means to an improvement in material comforts rather than an end in itself, namely, the formation of an individual who is capable of critically analyzing all matters as spiritually and educated Catholics do.  Since academic administrators do the hiring and evaluating, they are critical to the long-term future of these institutions as Catholic.

 

The Motley Monk could continue.  Suffice it to say, Boards of the nation's Catholic universities and colleges must aggressively attack the cancer of secularization.  Allowing administrators simply to pull the plug on less-than-Catholic events and programs because the watchdogs are howling is nothing short of giving an aspirin to a patient who is suffering the ravages of cancer.

That's not just educational malpractice.  For U.S. Catholic higher education and the Boards entrusted wtih uphold their institution's Catholic identity, it's spiritual malpractice.

Let the discussion begin...