It should exercise a leadership role within Catholic higher education. At the same time, however, all institutions that claim a Catholic character, mission and purpose should validate their claim by the manner in which they exist and fulfill their academic responsibilities. Academic freedom is essential to Catholic universities. The Holy Father has recognized that as have the Bishops and those who constitute the Catholic academic community. But every freedom has a corresponding, even logically prior responsibility.
Academic freedom is no exception.
Freedom is not license to do and to say anything one wants. It is the university's responsibility to demonstrate that intelligibility and a Catholic university's responsibility to do that in the context of the faith by which it is identified as Catholic. There will always be tensions between freedom and responsibility but these tensions must be creative, yielding a fuller awareness of the truth that is the goal of all knowledge. In my opinion the best way to safeguard academic freedom is to promote academic responsibility. That certainly has not been my experience of their intentions and I serve as President of an institution that they sponsor.