NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - The new president of The Catholic University of America was sworn in last week, taking the controversial Oath of Fidelity and declaring that the university must be "unambiguously Catholic."

      Father David O'Connell, CM, was inaugurated as the 14th president of the institution by Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Cardinal James Hickey of Washington, the university chancellor. He is the first president of CUA to publicly recite the Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity since its institution by the Vatican in 1989.

      Father O'Connell said during his inaugural speech that CUA has a "unique responsibility" to be as a Catholic university, because of its foundation by the US bishops' conference. "Now is our time‚ to lead the discussion and model the relationship between Catholic universities and colleges and the Church," he said. While extolling the importance of academic freedom and quoting Pope John Paul II who has advocated "an authentic intellectual inquiry that is free," Father O'Connell cautioned that "academic freedom must evidence academic responsibility, both of which seek truth through fidelity within the Catholic university."