We are the heirs and trustees of a great intellectual and cultural tradition founded on Christian faith and enhanced by grace and by many centuries of testing for fidelity and authenticity. It is a trust not only for the benefit of the Church but also for the benefit of the world. The Catholic universities play a key role in bearing this trust with its treasury of classic deposits and its long-developed approach to life and learning. The conditions for fidelity to our trust have changed a good deal in the twentieth century. If we are still moving experimentally and are not always clear and successful in what we are doing, that is not from ill will or unconcern, but due to the uncharted nature of our situation. On the other hand, we cannot afford to let the future of our universities take their course without careful attention, reflection, and planning. In this planning the characteristic contribution that the Catholic universities can make must be not one criterion among others but the guiding principle of the whole project. And in this the Catholic universities and colleges of the United States have a particular role to play because of the unique character of their undergraduate programs, because of their sheer numbers among the Catholic universities of the world, and because of their excellent academic standing among the universities of the continent.
This document was originally published in Examining the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, edited by Anthony J. Cernera and Oliver J. Morgan, © 2000, Sacred Heart University Press. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations, this book chapter, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, contact the Sacred Heart University Press, 5151 Park Avenue, Fairfield, Connecticut 06825-1000.
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