PC: Potentially Catholic

News stories of the Pope are permeating through the media this week. There have been many opportunites to reflect on his visit and the impact his words have made on the American public. Today the Pope met with leaders of Catholic Colleges and Universities from around the nation. He spoke with them on various issues related to Catholic education, emphasizing the continued pursuit of truth and the necessity to adjust our social selves to the example of Christ.

In the article from Catholic World News the Pope shares his opinion on the need for Catholic institutions to have a distinct identity that is reflected in the teachings of the Catholic Church. Instead of outwardly reinforncing the need to not resist the outlines of Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Benedicts praises younger Catholic colleges for adopting these regulations more thoroughly and explains the need for Catholic institutions as vehicles to spread the truth as defined by the Magisterium.

Pope Benedict presents a very relevant point to Catholics at Providence College:

   

"To preserve their Catholic identity, academic leaders should ensure not only that their students receive orthodox instruction, but also that they are encouraged to set high standards for personal behavior. The Pontiff said:

This requires that public witness to the way of Christ, as found in the Gospel and upheld by the Church's magisterium, shapes all aspects of an institution's life, both inside and outside the classroom. Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity and, far from advancing freedom, inevitably leads to confusion, whether moral, intellectual or spiritual."

Does Providence College, an institution that prides itself on the Catholic and Dominican Identity truly live up to the Pope's message? I fear that many of our students and faculty are falling short of this message. Instead of promoting Christian living contradictory to the general public, Providence College only further endorses the sinful mistakes of our society. We don't have individuals leaving PC with steadfast faith and a desire to bring that faith to the world, we have borderline alcoholics who continue to feed the monster of consumerism which is destroying our society. This is a sweeping generalization, yes, but also true, in many respects, to many of the graduates of PC.

How do we rectify this problem? Why should Fr. Shanley be meeting with the Pope as the leader of a great Catholic institution when we are barely Catholic by name? PC has potential, this needs to be realized and made effective for the future of Catholic higher education.