More than 150 students at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute in Rome have signed a letter saying that newly approved statutes will undermine the institute’s mission and identity.
“We want to express our greatest concern: the loss of the formational approach, and therefore, of the identity of the Pontifical Theological Institute John Paul II,” the students wrote in their July 24 letter, which was sent to Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the institute’s grand chancellor, and Msgr. Pierangelo Sequeri, its president.
“Many students have expressed their immense concern after the unexpected publication of the new statutes and the new program of studies for our new Institute, together with the sad news of the expulsion of two professors whose chairs have a central role in the formation offered by the institute,” they added.
The letter was sent soon after the approval of new statutes for the Institute, two years after Pope Francis announced that he would reestablish the school, broadening its focus on theology to include the “science of the family.”
A faculty member at the Institute expressed concern to CNA that the new statutes concentrate the hiring of faculty and development of curriculum in the chancellor’s office, now occupied by Paglia.
The faculty member said that tenured professors will no longer be involved in the search for new faculty members, and will only be able to stop a new hire with a two-thirds majority vote. This, the professor said, will be “practically impossible” because of faculty appointment recently made at the institute.
The professor said that when the Pontifical John Paul II Institute was founded, it had been especially important to then-Pope John Paul II that tenured professors consent to new faculty appointments, “to secure the continuity of the Institute’s identity.”
The professor also confirmed that the Institute’s faculty chair of moral theology will be eliminated, an idea he called “inconceivable.”
Among new faculty members appointed to teach at the university is Fr. Maurizio Chiodi, who argued in 2018 that the use of artificial contraception could, in some cases, “be recognized as an act of responsibility that is carried out, not in order to radically reject the gift of a child but because in those situations, responsibility calls the couple and the family to other forms of welcome and hospitality.”
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
Pope John Paul 11 was a great pope; Pope Francis is a _ _ pope.
Applause to the students for their letter, but there is nothing that can be done. Read history. While JPII is not a favorite, he at least stood for basic orthodoxy on many issues; Francis wants to change these positions.
Hypocrisy! What can be done to correct this terrible situation?? The Pope will not answer to the “Dubia” or to any other source of proper correction! Is the only solution– resignation of all, and the eventual collapse of the Institute??
What might be the basis for stating Pope Francis is a ‘__ __ pope’ ??
mike m. Maybe “– –” is a polite way to say what one thinks!
We need to speak firmly and strongly about about Pope Francis and his trying to destroy our Catholic Church!!
Mike M… if you can’t tell that its on you
Today at Medjugorje one of the Vatican representatives used labels instead of examining the positions of “conservatives” and “progressives.” He said that a Christian today is a “new creation.” This reminds me of the discredited Teilhard de Chardin theory of the evolution of the cosmos.
The leadership of the Institute seems intent on dismantling the legacy and contributions of Saint John Paul and others. Do they think we are so moral in 2019 that we no longer need moral theology? Do they think that marriage and family are in so much better shape now than when the Institute was founded by Saint John Paul?
Looks like more of Fancis’ and his minions’ maneuvering.
The Pope gets to make decisions he believes are in the best interests of the Universal Church. I suspect this is an attempt by the Pope’s adversaries to make a mountain out of a molehill. Faculty come and go at other papal universities frequently- it’s often necessary to make changes to better prepare students for the future.
Tobias, as I asked in my previous post: Do they think we are so moral in 2019 that we no longer need moral theology? Do they think that marriage and family are in so much better shape now than when the Institute was founded by Saint John Paul? What do you think? This is no mere staff change. It’s a fundamental change in the mission and nature of the institution.
I may be wrong here, but I believe one of the goals of the new administration is the reversal, in whole or in part, of Humanae Vitae, which would be a profound dismantling of the legacies of pretty much all the popes back to Peter.
I read something about this, too– very disturbing! True– or false??
Deacon Craig: the state of morality and marriage in post modern societies is a mess. One need only to consider the current leadership of the USA for a persuasive example of this. Perhaps, the Pope recognizes that new perspectives and approaches are needed if the Church is going to help humanity lead more moral lives and to aid Christian couples in living married lives that give witness to the Gospel.
Tobias, I hear you, but without a foundation in moral theology and Christian anthropology that will most certainly not happen. I’m for new approaches, but they have to be based upon sound moral theology and Christian anthropology; and those are the things that are being eliminated.