As Guardian of Faith, New Pope Played Role in Expelling Curran

German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was introduced on Tuesday as Benedict XVI, the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, to a crowd of thousands in Saint Peter's Square and millions more watching on television.

As a result of his former role in the Roman Curia and his position as the head of the Congregation on the Doctrine of the Faith, the new pope has dealt with the enforcement of proper teaching of Catholic doctrine. Ratzinger has been directly involved in the censoring and removal of Catholic professors who publicly disagree with Church teachings, such as Father Charles Curran. Curran was removed from the School of Religion at Catholic University in 1987 for having dissenting views concerning moral issues like birth control.

Throughout his term, which began with his appointment by Pope John Paul II in 1981, Ratzinger spoke against such issues as modernism and secularism which are contrary to Catholic teachings. In addition, he has been a prolific writer, defending Catholic moral teachings through various articles and books that he has written over his career in the Roman Curia.

Upon learning of Benedict's elevation to the papacy, some Catholics were very optimistic and hopeful for his reign. Becky Cooper, a freshman politics major was happy that Ratzinger was elected due to his strong commitment to uphold Catholic teachings. "At a time when many Catholics think the Church needs to amend some doctrine, it's comforting to know that the Pope will not back down from official teaching," Cooper said.

Furthermore, some Catholic scholars were optimistic after hearing of Ratzinger's elevation to the papacy. Rev. Joseph A. Komonchak, the John C. and Gertrude P. Hubbard Professor of Religious Studies in the School of Theology and Religious Studies was optimistic concerning the Pope's role in leading the Church without causing more division. "The most hopeful indications of the new Pope's agenda are given in his first speech, the day after his election where he mentioned three significant goals: the carrying forward of the impetus for renewal and reform given by the Second Vatican Council, the commitment to the reunion of Christians, and the continuing of the dialogue with other religions," Komonchak said.

Despite his strong faith and scholarly nature, some Church experts and members are concerned that his election will drive away those Catholics already at odds with Church teachings. Such scholars feel that his record of absolute and firm views could cause further division and splintering in the Church, especially with the issues of birth control, abortion, and just war theory.

Dean Hoge, a university sociology professor who tracks American Catholic thought, is concerned that Ratzinger's election will cause even more division within the Church in America. "I'm guessing that he is going to be something of a polarizing personality, and the American Catholic Church is already polarized. It will be much harder to find common ground and that may weaken the Church," Hoge said in news interviews throughout the week.

Iranian Scholars To Visit Campus

For an organization with a worldwide reach, CUA's Center for the Study of Culture and Values is awfully difficult to find.

The Rev. George F. McLean, a professor emeritus of philosophy and the Center's director, likens his office in the basement of St. Bonaventure Hall to a World War II-era "pocket battleship." The small windows, tight walkways and a mysterious rumbling liken the place to a submarine.

McLean's analogy applies more to the Center's work than the workspace. Pocket battleships were small, fast and, for their size, packed a considerable punch. With a part-time staff of just three, the Center has managed to publish about 150 books that are sent all over the world. Every new publication is mailed to more than six hundred scholars, McLean said.

Authors interested in a particular topic form teams to conduct research and write the books, which the Center edits, produces and distributes for the worldwide Council for Research in Values and Philosophy. The council's latest theme is "Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change," whose contributions have ranged from "Models of Identities in Postcommunist Societies Yugoslav Philosophical Studies" to "Christian-Islamic Preambles of Faith."

Of the 150 published books, about 25 came from scholars in Eastern Europe; another 25 came from China; academics in Africa and the Arab world contributed 16 apiece, McLean said.

The endeavor formally began in 1977, a time when the iron curtain of communism cut off Eastern Europe from the Western world and its scholars were in danger of losing touch with contemporary philosophical and political thinkers. A group of academics came together to produce books and conduct research that would specifically target areas of the world most in need of new scholarship. One of its early advocates was the archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, himself a philosophy professor. "The late pope asked the council to expand the philosophical thinking [in] Eastern Europe, even before the Berlin Wall fell," McLean said. A group of scholars met in Krakow in 1977, but Wojtyla ended up being unable to attend. Pope Paul VI had just died, and Wojtyla flew to Rome to participate in the conclave that elected John Paul I.

The council moved on to China in 1986, about a decade before liberalization of some economic laws sparked a wave of growth. With a trip to Egypt in 1991, McLean and the council began a partnership with academics in Iran. "We've just moved to every new challenge," McLean said, but they have appeared to be about a decade ahead of the curve.

Following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the federal government has launched several measures to repair America's image in the world, especially the Arab world. International Education Week, a project started in 2000 by the State Department but enlarged since then, now brings more than a half-million students from countries across the world to spent time in the United States. They are immersed in American culture and education, experiences intended to reduce cultural conflict.

McLean's international work builds "mutual understanding" among cultures-and one senses that, after traveling the world, he knows the definition of the term. But the trips have never been planned for the purpose of fostering friendly banter across borders. McLean aims for real cultural exchange and a concrete discussion of ideas-"not so much in terms of picture-taking and shaking hands," he said. "The philosophers' and political scientists' jobs is to think ahead-to try and bring them together and come up with some insight."

Eight Iranian grad students from into Washington yesterday for "Islam and the Political Order," a two-day colloquium, which is co-sponsored by the International Society for Iranian Culture and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center.

For McLean, the discussions to take place in the Pryzbyla Center and at the Cultural Center Monday and Tuesday will be the products of years of planning and negotiations with the State Department. In many ways, it will be the fruits of a 2003 trip McLean took to Iran, along with Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the archbishop of Washington and CUA Chancellor, and other scholars. Those who hosted the American delegation in Iran will now be making a return trip. Topics at the upcoming conference will include "If God is truly Lord of all, is there room for man?" and "Distinction, relation, separation: The proper interface of religion and the political order."

Stephen Schneck, chair and associate professor of politics, will moderate the latter topic. It's not the first time he's worked with McLean, nor the first time he's worked with Iranian academics. He gave a lecture series in 2000 in Qom, Iran, and attended a UN-sponsored conference on human rights in Tehran.

"I have many wonderful memories of my time there, but most striking was the tremendous welcome and gracious hospitality from the scholars, clerics, everyday people, and especially from the young people whom I met there," Schneck said in an e-mail to The Tower.

Schneck said McLean "has opened many doors for scholarship and the interchange of ideas." This June, McLean will "open doors" at council meetings in Lithuania, Russia, Indonesia, Romania, South Africa, Indonesia and Malasia. In the meantime, the eight scholars from Iran will remain in the United States for ten days.

"The world is moving ahead, and we're never up to date with it," McLean said. "Islam is going into a globalized world, and people can't move ahead if they're thinking backward."

Column: Parting Shots: A Senior Columnist Says Goodbye

So this is it. After four years of ink, sweat and tears, this column marks my last official act as a member of The Tower newspaper staff. As such, I'd humbly like to ask your pardon for my cheesiness as I take a trip down memory lane and look back at the "years that were" at CUA.

For starters, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Old South Dining Hall. With lunchtime taco salads to die for and a grease-drenched stench that clung to your hoodie long after you'd made your way through that 3 p.m. philosophy class - South wasn't just a dining hall, baby, it was an adventure. Fonzie had Al's, Zack Morris had The Max, and CUA had South. Old North was something, alright, but South was the spot. And frankly, Neo-North and Sequel-SouthTM will just never be able to compare.

While on the topic of closed dining establishments, I would like to dedicate these few lines of column-space in memoriam of The Rathskellar. While other establishments might match your watered-down-beer, dear Ratt, no one will ever match your spirit.

Ah, nostalgia. Though it was only four years ago, the world just seemed to be so much simpler then. Back before the days of color-coded terror threat levels and rumors of weapons of mass destruction. Before the days of the "Speaker Policy" and "Cardinal Cash" when the only time we'd hear the phrase "Do it All" was after the words "K's girls…"

Laundry Cards. Who can forget the days when we had to swipe a plastic strip in order to garner a simple suds-warrant? And who can forget that all-too-familiar-feeling of sheer devastation at the end of the semester when you'd find yourself standing at the washing machine (on the off-chance that it wasn't broken and/ or in use) only to discover that your laundry card didn't have the necessary $1.25 left to cover the cost of that desperately-need load of clean socks and underwear? Ah yes, that certainly used to make for an interesting March-thru-May home-stretch, I'll tell you what.

Additional In Memoriam: The Pudding Slide. May your chocolate-soaked-Mylar-soul rest in the inebriated hedonist paradise you showed us so well, old friend.

Four years ago, the building that we now call our student center was merely a pipe dream and a huge hole in the ground. Well, a pipe-dream, a hole, and one enormous crane surrounded by a gigantic fence, to be precise. I think there was even once a brave soul who attempted to scale said crane under the cover of nightfall. He was promptly expelled, of course… but that's the stuff of college legend. Because if you're going to get booted, you know, the least you can do is make sure it was for something stupid that you can laugh about in retrospect. (No jokes about swastika hooligans from this columnist, thank you very much.)

Yes, I've learned a lot at Catholic. Like that time when I rediscovered the depth of my Catholic faith when I came face to face with Satan himself. Yeah, that Cheney speech was somethin'…

So, to close this final chapter of my CUA tenure, I just wanted to thank everyone who's given me the privilege of rambling in these pages over the course of the past four years. Thanks for reading, all. If you've enjoyed reading these columns even so much as half as much as I've enjoyed writing them, then I'd say we had one hell of a run.

Notes & Asides

Our Favorite Police Blotter Reports:
pulling a drinking fountain out of the wall on Southside, getting hurt attempting to climb a drainpipe and then calling DPS,
and of course the smearing of a bicycle with ketchup.

*

You would think that with the resources of the Vatican, they could afford a lapel mic for the Pope, instead of poking him in the cheek with the mic on a stick.
*

For those of you looking for another way to procrastinate, count all of the dashes and number of times the word "mystify" is used in this week's Tower. These are all courtsey of our fearless Editor-In-Chief who's graduating. How we'll miss you and all your quirky ways.

Student Leadership Awards Received

Undergraduate Student Government Awards

Right Reverend
Denis J. O'Connell Award:
Brian Jones, Undergraduate Student
Government Treasury Vice President

Peggy Shaker Award:
Sarah McGrath,
Undergraduate Student
Government President

Frank Kuntz Award:
Kathryn R. McEvoy

Gerald J. Rehel Memorial Award:
Christina M. Rooney,
Undergraduate Student Government Academic Branch Secretary
Mallori Merandino,
Undergraduate Student Government Chief of Staff

Organization of the Year:
WCUA Radio Station

Monsignor WIlliam A. Kerr Adviser of the Year:
Christopher J. Wheatley, Ph.D.,
Student Government Academic Branch Adviser
Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies,
Professor of English and Undergraduate

Staff Member of the Year:
Francis Murray,
Equipment Manager, Athletics
"Miss Willie" Joyner,
Dining Services Attendant

Clarence Walton Administrator of the Year:
John J. Convey, Ph.D.,
Provost
James E. Dornan Memorial Teacher of the Year:
Diane M. Bunce, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor: Chemistry
Ronald S. Calinger, Ph.D.,
Professor of History

Graduate Student Association Awards

Bruno Damiani Teacher of the Year:
Joseph E. Capizzi, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of Moral Theology

Steven P. Millies Award:
Rev. Gabriel Pivarnik, O.P.,
Graduate Student Association,
Treasurer and Web Master

Vincent P. Walter, Jr. Community Service Award:
Paraic Maher

Media Awards

The Thomas E. Stone, Jr. Honor of Distinction:
Michael P. Ferguson,
Cardinal Yearbook

The Very Reverend
William Quinn Award:
Constantia Dedoulis,
Director of Institutes
and Special Programs

Regis Boyle Award:
Kathryn A. McGovern,
Managing Editor,
The Tower Newspaper

Ashley Boehk,
Photography Editor,
The Tower Newspaper

Letters to the Editor

"Liberal" Labeler Uninformed

Philip Ross, in his diatribe ["Faculty Needs to Diversify," March 8] against all the real and imagine liberals among whom he finds himself, has labeled me as "liberal." Unfortunately, he has never met me or attended any of my social policy classes, wherein students are required to consider all sides of issues before taking a position. Had he done so, he would have discovered that I am more a libertarian, who occasionally finds succor for the solution of specific social problems in progressive and Catholic social justice teachings. Accordingly, my colleagues at NCSSS, who know me well, are quite amused by Ross' characterization of me as a liberal.
Between the lines, if not explicitly stated in my letter to the editor to which Ross objects, was the libertarian argument for free and open discussion with responsibility place on the individual to make up their own mind after deliberation as to which position to embrace. A university that is true to John Henry Cardinal Newman's idea of a university is one in which ideas are freely discussed and debated.
That said, we libertarians are instinctively suspicious of arguments from authority - be they secular or religious in origin. My earlier letter took umbrage at the President's unilateral and inconsistent decisions on numerous occasions to exclude certain individuals from the CUA campus. Indeed, I was particularly dismissive of the President's sidling up to the Bush Administration for whatever political gains he might have imagined would result. The mixing of church and politics is a dangerous game that can lose the financial support of otherwise faithful people - in this case Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, and even thoughtful Conservatives. We object to the "R" in "RC" coming to mean "Republican."
Ross is right about one thing, however - there are many liberals on campus who embrace the social teachings of the Church. They can be counted on, along with the Libertarians, to stand up to authority when it attempts to suppress the legitimate strivings of individuals for freedom of expression and autonomous decision-making. They also respect the right of individuals to take a position on the basis of faith. As people who act on principle, they can be counted on to support unionization of janitors and service workers as well as faculty in the effort to obtain more adequate compensation and the right to be heard by appointed authority. In the past, they have supported the SEIU effort on the CUA campus to unionize the janitors and service workers and will do so again, should the opportunity once more present itself.
Where conservatives really stand on these matters would be an interesting discussion in its own right, were CUA able to permit all ideological positions to be aired on campus. Until such time, let's avoid stereotyping and overgeneralization from one sample of expressed opinion.

John H. Noble, Jr.
Ordinary Professor, NCSSS

Role of Priest Difficult

I am always disappointed when I see superficiality in people who are supposed to have had an education. It pains me even more when I see it in one of our CUA graduates. Philip Ross affirms "The priests in the School of Religious Studies were so afraid of orthodoxy that they could not bring themselves to wear their collars in class." What is the evidence for the link between the two: "orthodoxy" and "wear their collars"? Are only people who wear clerical collars "orthodox" (a notoriously difficult word)? What is the evidence for their lack of commitment to genuine orthodoxy - with or without collars? These men are my colleagues: good priests who work tirelessly to serve the Church, this country and the world at large in their deep commitment to their dual vocation of priest and scholar. It is not an easy call, and I admire them, even when we may differ over one issue or another. I have evidence for the statement I have just made: their classes, their care for students, their work in School and University committees, their service to the local community, their publications, and so on. What is the evidence for Philip Ross' statement? As he may have learned (or may not have learned) in a class at CUA: what is gratuitously affirmed can be gratuitously denied.

Rev. Francis J. Moloney, S.D.B.
Dean, School of Theology and Religious Studies

Joke in Bad Taste

The death of Pope John Paul II and election of Pope Benedict XVI put a national spotlight on CUA, whose position as the center of Catholic scholarship in the United States makes it the obvious choice for news outlets seeking information on JPII's legacy and the likely direction the Church will take under Benedict XVI. I'm sure many of our esteemed scholars took the opportunity to give intelligent responses to reporters' questions.
Unfortunately, it seems University President Rev. David M. O'Connell did not always choose the path of enlightenment when asked about key issues facing the Church. Tuning in to Jim Lehrer's "NewsHour" on PBS the evening our new pope was elected, I was aghast at Fr. O'Connell's response to Lehrer's question about whether the Church would likely change its position on the ordination of women under Benedict XVI. With a mischievous smirk, O'Connell proceeded to tell a joke that involved God telling a priest that married men would not likely be ordained within the priest's lifetime, while women would not be ordained "in God's lifetime." It is probably true that the Church's position on female ordination will not change anytime soon, but O'Connell's flippant dismissal of a serious issue that many Catholics do not believe is closed for debate was disturbing, insulting, and embarrassing to me as a CUA alum, not to mention as a Catholic woman.
I hope he handles himself better in future interviews when he is called upon to represent the University.

Irene Tsikitas
Class of 2002

Editorial: A Year of Highs and Lows Comes to An End

This past year, The Tower has reported on the highs and lows of life and policies on, around and concerning Catholic University. While some have called the paper overly negative or critical, we have strived to make our coverage free from bias. Our goal this year, as ever, was to report stories that kept our readers informed about the various issues, both positive and negative, that affect our campus.

Love it, hate it or just plain sick of it, the speaker policy and ensuing debate about free speech on campus has been a dominant issue on campus this year. The issue only helped to highlight the divide and disconnect that many feel exists between the students and the administration of the University. The rhetoric of the debate has been bitingly harsh at times, but it has also provoked valid and necessary discussion on an important issue. Sadly, however, the issue has only seemed to emphasize the problem of student apathy on campus. If a debate about free speech and access to alternative opinions is not enough to energize the student body, we have to wonder what is.

While certainly these issues have created a somber if not tense atmosphere on campus, there have also been a number of positive highlights during the year. This year, students actually seemed enthusiastic about this year's USG elections. The candidates were proactive in their campaigns and cooperated on Election Day to get students to the polls. The girls' basketball team (and CUA as a whole) may be saying goodbye to Maggie Lonergan but their season included a record-breaking streak of wins. And, while we all mourn the loss of Pope John Paul II, the entire campus came together to celebrate the life of the pontiff. In a year of divisions in the country and on the campus, it was heartening to see people come together, if only for a little while.

The end of any academic year is always loaded with exams, paper and projects. Even with all of the stress and burden of work - combined with that burning desire to just go home and bum off our parents for the next few months - most students use this time to take inventory of their lives. How you view this past year is a matter of personal choice. We just hope that next year's students will truly be able to "do it all."

Police Blotter

4/12
FIRE- 2ND FLOOR MILLENNIUM SOUTH
DPS responded to an activated fire alarm. The building was evacuated and searched for sign of a fire. The search revealed a trashcan was set on fire. The fire was extinguished and maintenance was notified to reset the alarm.

4/13 5:31 PM
STUDENT CODE VIOLATION- REARDON
R/1 reported to DPS that projectiles launched from Curley Court shattered his window. Disposition: Referred to Student Judiciary by Housing and Residential Services.

4/14 11:30 AM
STOLEN AUTO- JOHN MCCORMACK ROAD
C/1 reported she parked V/1 at 9:00 AM. C/1 returned to where she parked at 11:30 AM and discovered her vehicle was stolen. MPD was notified and responded. V/1: Red, Jeep Cherokee. Disposition: Under Investigation.

4/15 10:15 AM
THEFT II- PRYZBYLA CENTER
C/1 reported she left her wallet at the above location on 4/14/2005 at 6:00 PM hours. C/1 returned on 4/15/2005 at 10:15 AM to recover her wallet but discovered money was taken from her wallet.

4/16 1:28 AM
HIT & RUN AUTO ACCIDENT- MCMAHON HALL SOUTH ROAD
R/1 reported V/1 was traveling westbound south of McMahon Hall at a high rate of speed. V/1 stuck V/2 causing damage to the front left quarter panel. V/1 fled the campus westbound on Michigan Avenue. MPD was notified and responded.

4/19 7:55 PM
FIRE- SHAHAN HALL (SOUTH SIDE)
DPS responded to a reported fire burning on the south side exterior of the building. Upon arrival DPS observed a small fire coming from the mulch area. The fire was extinguished by DPS. DCFD was not notified.

4/19 9:20 PM
INJURED PERSON TO HOSPITAL- REGAN
C/1 stated he injured himself while using an exacto knife. EMS was notified and responded. C/1 was transported to the hospital.

4 Students Injured in Weekend Car Wreck

Four CUA students were seriously injured in a major traffic accident at the intersection of 13th & Franklin Streets N.E., Saturday morning. Two of the students remain in critical care at Washington Hospital Center.

Around 3:10 a.m., a Volkswagen Beetle traveling west on Franklin Street collided with a Mercury Mountaineer that had run a red light. The Mountaineer, where the students were passengers, struck a telephone poll and a tree before overturning, ejecting one passenger. EMS used the jaws of life to remove the driver of the Volkswagen.

The driver of the Mountaineer has been identified as Christopher Tully, 21, a senior studying in the School of Theology and Religious Studies. Several sources confirmed the identity of two of the passengers. Hunter Dawkins, 22, is a senior politics major. The second passenger has been identified as James Walsh, a senior in the school of Arts and Sciences. Both the third SUV passenger and the driver of the Volkswagen remain unidentified.

Tully has been released from the hospital but Dawkins and Walsh remain in critical care, with Dawkins in a coma. The driver of the Volkswagen was taken to Howard University hospital.

Dawkins is the son of Deborah Dawkins, a Democratic state senator from Mississippi. "He has a breathing tube right now… because they want to keep the pressure off his brain," Sen. Dawkins told the Mississippi Sun Herald Tuesday. The Herald reported that Dawkins' condition continued to improve. "The neurosurgeon said we're lucky he's young and strong, and that people his age rebound quickly," she said.

Tully did not return a telephone message.

"We have been following the events surrounding the accident very closely," said Dean of Students Jonathan Sawyer. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the students and their families and we hope they can recover quickly. We have been working with the families of the students to help as best we can." Students in attendance at university Masses were asked to pray for the recovery of those injured.

According to a press release issued by the Metropolitan Police, Tully, who was driving the Mountaineer, has been charged with aggravated assault and is scheduled to be arraigned. Additional charges may be added pending investigation. Representatives of MPD's public information office did not return several phone calls.

University spokesman Victor Nakas did not return requests for comments for this story.

The crash remains under investigation by the Major Crash Investigation Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Column: New Pope Faces Many Issues

This week we saw the historic election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI. While certainly, John Paul II's encyclicals and trips have spurred a massive evangelization and have helped spread the Christian message, the fact remains that he has left much work behind. The new pope needs to address several serious issues.

Among the most serious issues that the new pope must address is the problem of defective seminary education. The failure of certain seminaries to teach authentic Christian doctrine and to prepare seminarians for clerical celibacy is well documented.

Many believe that these failures played a significant role in the US sexual abuse crisis, which prompted an apostolic visitation by Vatican officials to American seminaries. This is not only an American problem; perhaps the most prominent example of a dysfunctional seminary is the diocesan seminary in St. P

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