Bishops discuss control over Catholic colleges

November 19, 2009|Associated Press

BALTIMORE - Fallout continues from the summer controversy over the University of Notre Dame awarding an honorary degree to President Obama, who supports abortion rights.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops went behind closed doors at its fall meeting yesterday to discuss, among other issues, what action it should take to increase oversight of the nation’s more than 200 Roman Catholic colleges and universities.

Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the bishops’ conference, revealed this week that he had formed a task force to review the issue. Its research included a look at what church law says about bishops’ authority over the schools.

The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities has planned a similar discussion of canon law and bishops’ authority at the group’s annual meeting, Jan. 30 in Washington.

“Can bishops just pull the plug on us? It’s not that simple,’’ said Richard Yanikoski, president of the Catholic college association. He attended a meeting of the bishops’ education committee Sunday that briefly touched on higher education. He expected the bishops’ would more fully examine the issue in their executive session.

The decision by Notre Dame, the nation’s flagship Catholic university, to honor Obama at its May commencement caused an uproar within the church and drew protests from around the country and on campus.

More than 70 US bishops spoke out against the university’s decision, a remarkable reaction given that it is customary for only a local bishop to comment. Notre Dame said Obama was honored as an inspiring leader who broke a racial barrier as the nation’s first African-American president.