Voice your opinion with our online form. The Cincinnati Enquirer Don't sweat it, Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk is telling Catholic professors who fear the church is imposing an ill-conceived loyalty oath on them. Archbishop Pilarczyk led the national committee that drafted the mandatum and implementation policy. A fi nal version is to be approved by bishops in June.
Critics say the mandatum is an affront to academic integrity.
A lot of the theologians feel it is a questioning of their integri ty. It's bound to cast a shadow over anybody's presence in the classroom. Dr. Knitter predicted that he won't be alone when he declines to apply for it. But the archbishop said the mandatum is no more than an affirmation of the complementary roles of professors and bishops, and soon will fade into the other realities of academic life. Its impact will be as global as the Vatican's efforts to reinforce Catholic identity of Catholic schools, and as im mediate as classes at Thomas More College, Xavier University, the University of Dayton, Chatfield College and the College of Mount St. Joseph.