Villanova theologian Massimo Faggioli recently argued that Catholic universities need to be more involved in the ongoing synodal process in the Catholic Church. It’s clear that in American higher education at least, the pandemic has exacerbated a number of trends that had already been predicted or percolating in the last two decades. A crucial one is the movement toward pre-professional credentialing, which tends to sap a university’s commitment to mission, investment in the humanities and liberal arts, and appreciation for academic units that tend to operate on shoestring budgets or in the red. In conversations about resource allocation, almost every theology, philosophy, or fine arts department has heard some iteration of the dreaded: “No margin, no mission.” (I have read that, in fact, that phrase was originally coined by a nun working in hospital administration.)
But Massimo’s point is that in contrast to what unfolded around the time of the Second Vatican Council, where young people and academic communities both cared deeply and played leading roles in the ecclesial and cultural revolutions that were taking place, Catholic and pontifical universities today remain relatively uninvolved or uninterested in what is unfolding in these theological, pastoral and structural discernment processes. The power of administrators (which he says represents almost its own kind of clericalism) and the “technocratic mentality” that has led to a corporatization of university culture has resulted in a gaping chasm between college campuses and the conversations of and about what is happening in the Church. This held as true through previous gatherings about the Amazon and even young people themselves. Not too many American college students have even heard of “Christus Vivit,” not to mention understanding how it came about.
It is in the midst of all this churn, and with a hope toward changing it, that Loyola University Chicago has been granted an amazing opportunity. The Institute of Pastoral Studies, where I teach, has partnered with the Hank Center for Catholic Intellectual Heritage, former ambassador to the Holy See Miguel Diaz and our Theology Department, as well as the wider mission integration offices at the university to host a historic meeting Feb. 24 with Pope Francis through the wonders of post-pandemic technology.
The event arose out of our connections with the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, under the direction of Dr. Emilce Cuda, an Argentine laywoman who is one of the highest-ranking women ever to work in the Vatican. Her critically acclaimed book “Para Leer a Francisco” (“How to Read Francis” – though I do not believe it is available English) is among the most important resources for those hoping to understand the pontiff’s theological formation, spiritual motivations and forward-looking agenda. She recently invited the pope to hold an intimate conversation with students given her vision for where Loyola could contribute to the synod, and he surprised us all by accepting the offer.
The event has been titled “Building Bridges North-South: A Synodal Encounter Between Pope Francis and University Students.” The pontiff insisted that these frank and direct discussions should revolve around concrete educational projects that seek to justly transform environmental and economic realities, particularly prioritizing students from North, Central and South America, especially migrants and children of migrants. It will be simultaneously translated into English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Dean Peter Jones, who is (purely coincidentally, I assure you!) set to be the godfather to my daughter this summer when she is baptized in Spain, has helped organize and spread the word about this particular meeting, and what we all hope is a mere point of embarkation for wider currents of conversation to continue: online, in-person in Chicago and Rome, and around the world.
Peter has made clear that “People are excited not only to have the opportunity to speak with the pope but also to develop these networks across boundaries to find practical solutions to the pressing issues of our day.” The collaborative work and foregrounding of the trials and tribulations that young people face in every country in the Western hemisphere will hopefully lead to exactly the sort of engagement that Massimo has found heretofore lacking in Catholic higher education.
Registration to participate is free and will be available at www.luc.edu/popefrancis.
Originally from Collingswood, Michael M. Canaris, Ph.D., teaches at Loyola University, Chicago.
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