Let them sit on the stage. But there should be nothing beyond that. They should have nothing to say about the internal academic affairs of the university or any faculty member thereof. Father McBrien said the bishops' due-process procedures offered little protection, no matter how sincerely they are invoked, if they can be tossed aside when the Vatican wants certain views silenced. Some observers have said the due-process procedures did not apply to this case, because Father McBrien was dealing with a panel of bishops, not his local bishop.
Some academics believe that clerical approval of theology lessons is good.
Scrupulous adherence to orthodoxy is particularly important in introductory courses, Father Dimock said. Many theologians are substituting their own beliefs for the teaching of the church, depriving them of Catholic doctrines for which they or their parents forked over a lot of money. But he said they won't guarantee that church orthodoxy prevails on Catholic campuses. He wanted the bishops to be clearer about when they will reopen discussions on the issue of approval of theologians. The president of Marywood College, Sister Mary Reap, said the discussions about Ex corde had invited welcome reflection about the identity of Catholic colleges.