Catholic identity: an Easter reflection

I am once again grateful to those who are responsible for the many illuminating and substantive postings presented over the last few days regarding a variety of important issues to which MOJ contributors have offered insightful and helpful commentaries. While it may initially appear to some that I am simply resurrecting—after all, it is Easter—an old theme, namely Catholic identity in higher education, I use this theme as an opportunity to discuss the relevance of the Easter promise to our work (and, perhaps even a passion—another Holy Week theme) as teachers, students, practitioners, and others who share an interest in “Catholic legal theory.”

Catholic identity—yes. Rick, I believe, posted the link to Fr. Bill Miscamble’s open letter to Fr. Jenkins on the Monologues a few days ago. There is a great deal in the Miscamble letter to which I commend your careful and prayerful reflection. It represents, first and last, the work and discipleship of one good man and priest commenting on a problematic decision made by another good man and priest. These associated events (the letter and the decision) have been one catalyst for this posting.

Another catalyst is in the copy of the latest “Company” magazine, which is distributed by some of the Jesuit provinces in the US, and which I received the other day. My attention was drawn to this issue’s “letters to the editor” section. I was edified by four letters about a great man, priest, and medical doctor, Fr. Myles Sheehan, who has helped many people for many years deal with a fact of the human condition—one day we all must go home to God for our judgment and reconciliation with Him and our neighbor. How do we approach that day and the medical decisions that are made as the approach gets closer? The authors of these letters responded to a great article about a great human being who is, first and last, a man who strives to be faithful to God and the Church.

But then, there were two other letters from laity about one of the Jesuit universities that invited a dynamic young politician, who is acquiring a reputation as an up-and-coming US Senator, to give the key-note address to the new freshman class that entered this past fall. There is a problem, though, with this particular invitation based on the letters I read. Some of this politician’s major policy positions contravene the Church’s teachings. I need not go into which issues at this point. The authors of these two letters, and I am sure many other individuals sharing similar views and concerns, asked two questions about this invitation. The first: who else was considered to address the new class? The second question quickly follows: why was this person selected to address the new freshmen? After all, those who speak about important matters to a new class at a Jesuit/Catholic university have a peculiar ability to influence a large group of young people who will likely become influential people in the not-too-distant future. Was this young politician, who many claim to be dynamic and forward-looking, really a good choice if he does not understand the simple difference between what is right and what is wrong? The two individuals who wrote the letters said that the selection of this speaker was profoundly mistaken. I think they are right.

So I come back to the matter of Catholic identity.

A number of us have been addressing and wrestling with this issue for some time. I won’t reiterate past positions today. Rather, I would like to speak about the matter from a different perspective: the faith we share and have just celebrated in an extraordinary manner this past weekend. We have renewed our remembrance that God loved us so that He gave His only son so that we, who believe in him, may not perish but have eternal life. Such a deal! I could critique the young Senator for not having spoken of this, but I will not. I could critique the many colleges and universities that call themselves “Catholic” but tend to support or pursue views and positions that are not, but I shall not.

I hasten to add here that very few of these institutions posted Easter greetings on their websites (a powerful tool for evangelizing the Gospel!). I will stick with those schools that refer to themselves as Jesuit or following the Jesuit tradition, or some variation thereof, since I know them best. None had Easter greetings or proclamations of any sort. Four did post some type of reference to Holy Week and/or Easter services/Mass schedules. I hasten to add, once again, that if you were persistent in website navigation, you would likely come up—if you labored long enough—with a schedule of Holy Week liturgies at most of these schools. But this information required some effort—and, in certain cases, a great deal. But, other messages, many not particularly Catholic or Christian, were prominently featured on the websites. A fifth school had nothing on the main page of the website about Holy Week religious services and Masses; however, it did proclaim that there would be an “Easter egg hunt at noon Saturday.” Nothing was said about Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, or Easter Sunday. But, if you were interested in Easter eggs, “we have them”! I began to wonder if Bugs Bunny would be present to confer honors upon whoever found the most eggs? But, I digress.

I looked high and low for some, any message about Christ crucified for us, but I found none. Instead, I found variations on themes of “empowerment,” “leadership,” etc. In short, the messages presented proclaimed: it is about “me.” Or it’s about “you” as the prospective student who might be willing to pay a small fortune to attend this school where “men and women are made persons for others.”

And this is where we enter my Easter season reflection. The authors of MOJ postings are academics who have the ability (in the proper exercise of their academic freedom) to suggest, to propose something about the glory of God’s promise, God’s covenant every day to some or all of the people they meet. Sometimes it’s easier to do on some occasions than on others, I admit, but it is still possible. And it is the very work that each disciple—regardless of whether he or she is teacher, practitioner, student, or other human who bears the likeness of God—who claims to follow Christ, is called to do. I have little hope in the empty promises of website jargon, but I do have much hope in the one who came to save us all. Is it not possible that this is at the center not only of the institutions in which we find ourselves laboring but also of us?

If this suggestion about the nature of the institutions with which we associate ourselves or about the nature of ourselves is correct, then surely this is the day the Lord has made: come, let us rejoice and be glad!

If not, then there is a lot more work to do. And it is the work of the one called to assist in the gathering of His abundant harvest.

A blessed Easter to one and all!    RJA sj