March 1: A Pledge of Fidelity

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Today is March 1st, and our story is A Pledge of Fidelity. If you want to teach Catholic theology in a Catholic school, you actually have to teach Catholic theology, not your personal opinion. This was the gist of the Vatican's message to bishops, seminary rectors, and Catholic theology professors in a note published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, CDF, in 1989.

Dating back to the infamous Lando Lakes Conference in 1967, dissent had reigned in more than a few of America's Catholic colleges and universities. Theologians justified that dissent with appeals to academic freedom, claiming that it fell within their purview to disagree with the Church on matters of faith and morals.

To correct that problem and help clarify what was expected of those charged with teaching the faith, the CDF revised both the Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity to stress the importance of fidelity to the Church in all her doctrines and disciplines.

The note that included those revisions went into effect on March 1, 1989. Unfortunately, March 1 came and went with few theologians in the United States taking heed of the changes. Many simply dismissed the document, arguing that such pledges were a private matter, and refused to acknowledge whether or not they had made any such profession.

Persisting in dissent, their schools supported them. Exceptions did, however, exist. Within weeks of the revisions going into effect, Franciscan University of Steubenville became the first U.S. Catholic school to require its theology professors, friars, and chapel ministry staff to publicly pledge their fidelity to the church. A handful of other colleges soon followed suit, including Thomas Aquinas College and Christendom College. In the decades since, that handful has grown, but not by much. Today, only 33 of the country's 260 Catholic colleges and universities have publicly confirmed that those who teach the faith at their schools have sworn to teach it faithfully.

The status of the other 227 schools remains unknown. Fidelity to the Church ensures that Catholic education remains true to its mission. While academic freedom is valuable, it must never replace the duty to faithfully teach the faith. In a culture that often prioritizes personal opinion over truth, educators have a responsibility to form students in sound doctrine. May we take inspiration from those who uphold Catholic truth in education, and commit ourselves to faithfulness in all we teach and do.

Today, consider how you might promote fidelity in your own educational or professional environment. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, March 2nd, for another story of faith and courage in America.