While our Holy Father was addressing a distinguished delegation from a highly regarded school founded by the Congregation of the Holy Cross, I am quite confident that he did not exempt from the application of his exhortation the twenty-eight colleges and universities founded by his (and my) religious order, the Society of Jesus. There is no question that these institutions also have a crucial role in “the uncompromising witness… to the Church’s moral teaching, and the defense of her freedom, precisely in and through her institutions, to uphold that teaching as authoritatively proclaimed by the magisterium of her pastors.”
It may be that there are some within the Jesuit network of higher education institutions who are willing to compromise on such matters, but I know that there are dedicated, faithful people who view such compromise as a betrayal of one’s duty as a disciple of Christ. Pope Francis is clearly one of them, for he recognizes that the unambiguous witness of the Christian cannot compromise on any matter central to the Catholic faith. Time will tell to what extent his words and the sentiments they carry are shared within the world of Jesuit higher education.
Link (here) to the blog entitled Mirror of Justice, read in its entirety this post by, Fr. Robert John Araujo, S.J.
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The Pope's quote above continues: "It is my hope that the University of Notre Dame will continue to offer unambiguous testimony to this aspect of its foundational Catholic identity, especially in the face of efforts, from whatever quarter, to dilute that indispensable witness."
As other commentaries have mentioned, the Pope seems to be saying that the University is doing the right thing, and should continue doing so. Also, apparently those present during this event describe the Pope as "effusive" toward Notre Dame and her representatives. My conclusion is that the quoted blog has an agenda -- and wants to deceive people about the real interactions that occurred. (I'm neither defending nor attacking Jesuit education.)
Is this a joke? Can someone name a single Jesuit a University that doesn't host a Gay Week, The V-logs, Sex Week, promote internships at a Planned Parenthood and on and on?
I'm convinced that the majority of Jesuits who go into the priesthood with the career-path of academia in mind are as disconnected from Catholic doctrine as they are unconcerned with any statements from the Pope. Less than 2 years ago during the Pontificate of our Blessed Benedict XVI I asked a Jesuit priest on the day of his ordination, "So, what do you think about Pope Benedict's Summorum Pontificum?" and he gave me a google-eyed "what do I think about sumbuddubumbum what?" I knew he was trying at a joke, so I patiently smiled, and he continued, "actually, now that I'm ordained I don't have to think about the pope ever again". I know this is just anecdotal and I'm simply a faceless voice on the internet, but this is my reality in Jesuit institutions, namely my alma mater.
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