Why Ex Corde Ecclesiae still matters

In 1990 Pope John Paul II issued Ex Corde Ecclesiae (“From the Heart of the Church”), an apostolic constitution on Catholic universities. More than thirty years later, it remains the clearest common reference point for families of every Catholic sensibility. It doesn’t ask colleges to choose between intellectual seriousness and faith. It asks for both.

An integrated education

The document hopes that “aided by the specific contributions of philosophy and theology, university scholars will be engaged in a constant effort to determine the relative place and meaning of each of the various disciplines” (§16). It calls theology essential: “every Catholic University should have a faculty, or at least a chair, of theology” (§19). It describes how “a careful and thorough study of philosophy and theology” helps students “acquire an organic vision of reality” (§20). These passages are why our scorecard looks closely at what every undergraduate must study.

A worshiping community

The university community, it says, “should give a practical demonstration of its faith in its daily activity, with important moments of reflection and of prayer,” and Catholic members “will be encouraged to participate in the celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist” (§39). The same paragraph adds that the initiatives of members of other faiths “are to be respected.” That is the basis of our Sacramental Life pillar.

Service and justice

“The Christian spirit of service to others for the promotion of social justice is of particular importance for each Catholic University” (§34). We read this alongside the Church’s teaching on the dignity of every human life, which is why our Service pillar gives equal weight to pro-life work and to other works of justice and solidarity.

Identity and freedom

The General Norms hold together two commitments that are sometimes set against each other: “Catholic teaching and discipline are to influence all university activities, while the freedom of conscience of each person is to be fully respected” (Art. 2 §4). A good question for any campus visit is how a college lives out both halves of that sentence.