"Solidarity, Not a Scolding"

I have a post at National Review -- which was occasioned by my disappointment in some of the reactions to Pope Francis's remarks at his recent meeting with leaders of the University of Notre Dame -- called "Solidarity, not a Scolding."  I wrote (among other things):

. . . It seems clear that this was a happy and uplifting occasion, at which the Holy Father generously expressed sincere gratitude and support for the University of Notre Dame’s work and mission. What’s more, he indicated his clear-eyed appreciation for the fact that the university confronts challenges, in the form of “efforts . . . to dilute [its] indispensable witness.” Surfing around the more “conservative” sectors of the Catholic blogosphere, though, one might get the impression that Pope Francis had called the university on the carpet for a Petrine scolding, or for a finger-wagging session dedicated to chastising Notre Dame for its various failings, or for marching orders regarding the handling of the university’s lawsuit challenging the HHS contraception-coverage mandate. It appears that many who have already concluded — because of Land O’ Lakes, or President Obama’s honorary degree, or the edgy statements of a particular faculty member, or the ups and downs of the football team’s fortunes — that Notre Dame is a “Catholic in name only” sell-out were quick to imagine that the pope was endorsing all the particulars of their indictments of the Irish.

I realize that the “oh, snap!” interpretation of the pope’s address to Notre Dame’s president and trustees is useful to some fundraising efforts and provides some an opportunity for catharsis and venting. But, it is not a plausible interpretation. The pope expressed (appropriate and warranted) gratitude and praise and also (appropriate and warranted) caution. To the extent he was being critical, the object of his criticism is not the university for its alleged half-stepping but those “quarter[s]” — such as the United States Department of Health and Human Services — that are trying to undermine and dilute Catholic universities’ and institutions’ “uncompromising witness” and commitment to “missionary discipleship.”