St. Ignatius Institute
Encyclopedia
The Saint Ignatius Institute (SII) is an undergraduate program at the University of San Francisco
(USF), a private university operated by the California Province of the Society of Jesus
(Jesuit Order) in San Francisco, California
.
The SII offers a four-year, Great Books
program as an alternative method for students to fulfill USF's undergraduate core curriculum
requirements. From its inception in 1976, the SII has granted its Certificate of Liberal Arts
to approximately 1,000 students.
During its first quarter century, the SII generated controversy due to its traditional, classical
approach to education and its conservative theological stance within a larger, more liberal
Jesuit institution.
, S.J.
, called, "a completely integrated liberal arts program in the Jesuit tradition." Fessio, a theological conservative, founded the SII in reaction to curriculum changes at the university which he saw as a departure from the traditional Jesuit approach to education.
The four-year long sequence of studies in the liberal arts was designed to follow a method of seminars and lectures based on the students' reading of the Great Books of the Western World
, in a roughly historical order. The reading list mostly resembled those at other undergraduate colleges offering Great Books programs such as St. John's College
in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and at Thomas Aquinas College
, in Santa Paula, California.
SII students would read and discuss the same works from the official reading list of Great Books authors chosen for their impact on the intellectual life of Western Civilization
, regardless of the creed
or philosophy
of the authors. For instance, in their first semester, freshmen read works by Ancient Greek
and Semitic
pagans
, including Homer
, Aristophanes
, Sappho
, and the Epic of Gilgamesh
. At the same time, the SII also drew upon and emphasized Roman Catholic contributions to the Western tradition, as represented by such Catholic authors as the early Church Fathers
, St. Augustine
, Boethius, St. Thomas Aquinas, Dante
, Chaucer, Cervantes
, as well as more recent Catholic thinkers like John Henry Newman, G. K. Chesterton
, and the fathers of the Second Vatican Council
.
Like Thomas Aquinas College, the SII espoused academic freedom
by not limiting admissions to applicants of any religious or philosophical belief. Students tended to be Catholic, but some non-Catholics became students and faculty members.
Unlike some other institutions with Great Books curricula, the SII operates within a larger university and does not constitute an alternative to the obligatory major that USF students declare before graduation. The original program was strong in the humanities
(languages, literature
, composition (language)
, philosophy
, theology
) but had a weaker offering in mathematics
and the natural sciences. Students who fulfilled the requirements of the SII were awarded a Certificate in the Liberal Arts, by which USF and the SII certified that the student had achieved USF's general education requirements toward an undergraduate degree.
Faculty of the SII clashed with members and friends of USF's Department of Theology
who objected to SII's practice of hiring theology professors for SII classes rather than relying upon the Department of Theology to provide these faculty. The SII rejected interference by the Department of Theology because the SII wanted to maintain a strong adherence by its faculty to theological positions loyal to the Pope
and Magisterium
of the Roman Catholic Church, especially on moral matters such as contraception, abortion
and homosexuality
. Eventually the differences between the SII and the Department of Theology were symbolized by their contrasting responses to Ex Corde Ecclesiae
, issued by Pope John Paul II
in 1990. The papal document calls for a mandatum to be signed by professors of Catholic doctrine as a kind of testament to the instructor's orthodoxy. The SII faculty readily signed the mandatum as a self-defining act. Meanwhile, USF and the Department of Theology resisted signing the mandatum, as did theologians in many other U.S. Catholic universities in a controversy that continued for over a decade.
Various events also sparked debate, with the SII's continued existence frequently called into question. In 1978, the SII hosted a symposium to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the promulgation of Humanae Vitae
, the encyclical
by Pope Paul VI
condemning contraception
. British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge
delivered the keynote address, arguing that contraception is a lethal threat to Christian civilization. Another speaker, Fr. Gerald Coleman, dean of St. Patrick's Seminary, Menlo Park, California
, delivered a minority opposition paper at the symposium, "allowing theological dissent and reception of communion by couples practicing artificial birth control."
In 1987, USF's campus minister denied access on Sundays for the SII's popular but controversial chaplain, Fr. Cornelius M. Buckley, to celebrate Mass
, alleging that his liturgies fostered a cult-like following. Critics of the decision expressed regret at the loss of variety in styles of liturgical worship at USF caused by the campus minister's ruling. Buckley's liturgical approach was described as more "simple" and "solemn."
Also in 1987, the SII faced its greatest crisis to date when the university president fired Fr. Fessio from his position as the SII's first director, over a disagreement concerning the use of a $1 million gift that San Francisco benefactress, Mrs. Louise Davies, gave to the SII. Fr. Robert Maloney, S.J., succeeded Fessio as director. Fessio continued to teach theology at USF and in the SII until 1992, when he resigned to spend more time developing Ignatius Press
, the lay-run publishing house he directs in San Francisco.
Controversy again erupted in 1988 when the USF student government required that an SII student who was the editor-in-chief of the university's award-winning newspaper, the San Francisco Foghorn
, accept a co-editorship arrangement in the interests of journalistic objectivity.
Additional controversies took place during the term of the SII's third director, John Galten. Under his watch the SII's faculty had to design a course in Asian philosophy to satisfy pressure from the university to incorporate non-western sources into the curriculum. A renewed clash was brought on by the transfer of the SII's chaplain, C.M. Buckley, away from San Francisco. Buckley, a published historian and translator with decades of university teaching experience, was assigned the bed chaplaincy at a Catholic hospital in Duarte, California
, an assignment that Fessio would also be forced to accept some years afterward.
Despite these controversies, some SII faculty members and alumni expressed in print that their experience at USF had been enriched by their participation in the SII's intellectual community.
of the American Enterprise Institute
, in a full-page ad published in the San Francisco Chronicle
and elsewhere. In a memo published nationally, Privett responded to criticism of his decision, stating that the replacement of the SII's leadership would promote "synergies between St. Ignatius Institute and other university programs" and create "efficiencies by consolidating resources." He held a conference with students to assure them that the SII would continue as a Great Books curriculum with qualified instructors.
Within the Catholic Church, the controversy went all the way to the Holy See
. A letter of support for the SII went to Pope John Paul II signed by Fessio's former PhD thesis advisor Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then-prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
(now Pope Benedict XVI), and by Cardinal Christoph Schonborn
, archbishop of Vienna, Austria, and editor of the official Catechism of the Catholic Church
. Reportedly the letter was personally approved by the pope.
Nevertheless, at the pope's behest, an official letter from the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education
supported the authority of the then-Archbishop William Levada
to resolve tensions between the SII and USF. The archbishop chose not to reverse the firings.
SII is now headed by Assistant Professor Sean Michaelson, S.J. and includes many faculty from the university that share little of the SII's original vision of Catholic education.
, launched Campion College of San Francisco in 2002, located just off the USF campus. Friends and alumni of SII also organized a sister college, Campion College of Washington, DC, but it never began operations.
Campion was a two-year Great Books program that effectively transplanted the SII reading list and curriculum, under Galten's watch, to a new junior college granting Associate of Arts degrees to its graduates. Campion operated for two years, graduating fourteen students, before financial constraints forced its closure.
Fessio's participation in the founding of Campion College was viewed by USF authorities and by the Society of Jesus as a direct challenge. Consequently, Fessio's superiors ordered him to have no contact with the new school, and they transferred Fessio to the same Duarte, Calif., hospital where Buckley was chaplain. Fessio later resurfaced as founding chancellor
and, later, provost
of Ave Maria University
, a new Catholic university launched in Naples, Florida
, by the mercurial billionaire, Thomas S. Monaghan
, founder of the Domino’s Pizza chain. There Fessio would also run into difficulties with university authorities who stated that they had "irreconcilable differences" with Fessio "over administrative policies and procedures," and who—according to Fessio—objected to his traditional approach to liturgical worship. Fessio was fired from his post, but then rehired to a lesser position at the university.
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
(USF), a private university operated by the California Province of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
(Jesuit Order) in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
The SII offers a four-year, Great Books
Great Books
Great Books refers primarily to a group of books that tradition, and various institutions and authorities, have regarded as constituting or best expressing the foundations of Western culture ; derivatively the term also refers to a curriculum or method of education based around a list of such books...
program as an alternative method for students to fulfill USF's undergraduate core curriculum
Core Curriculum
The Core Curriculum was originally developed as the main curriculum used by Columbia University's Columbia College. It began in 1919 with "Contemporary Civilization," about the origins of western civilization. It became the framework for many similar educational models throughout the United States...
requirements. From its inception in 1976, the SII has granted its Certificate of Liberal Arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
to approximately 1,000 students.
During its first quarter century, the SII generated controversy due to its traditional, classical
Classical education movement
The Classical education movement advocates a form of education based in the traditions of Western culture, with a particular focus on education as understood and taught in the Middle Ages. The curricula and pedagogy of classical education was first developed during the Middle Ages by Martianus...
approach to education and its conservative theological stance within a larger, more liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
Jesuit institution.
Founding and Great Books curriculum
In 1976 a group of educators founded what their leader, the Rev. Joseph FessioJoseph Fessio
Joseph Fessio, is a Roman Catholic priest of the Jesuit order and the founder and editor of Ignatius Press. He was the founding provost of Ave Maria University until March 2007.- Education :...
, S.J.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, called, "a completely integrated liberal arts program in the Jesuit tradition." Fessio, a theological conservative, founded the SII in reaction to curriculum changes at the university which he saw as a departure from the traditional Jesuit approach to education.
The four-year long sequence of studies in the liberal arts was designed to follow a method of seminars and lectures based on the students' reading of the Great Books of the Western World
Great Books of the Western World
Great Books of the Western World is a series of books originally published in the United States in 1952 by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. to present the western canon in a single package of 54 volumes. The series is now in its second edition and contains 60 volumes.-History:The project got its start...
, in a roughly historical order. The reading list mostly resembled those at other undergraduate colleges offering Great Books programs such as St. John's College
St. John's College, U.S.
St. John's College is a liberal arts college with two U.S. campuses: one in Annapolis, Maryland and one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded in 1696 as a preparatory school, King William's School, the school received a collegiate charter in 1784, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher...
in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and at Thomas Aquinas College
Thomas Aquinas College
Thomas Aquinas College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college offering a single integrated academic program. It is located in Santa Paula, California north of Los Angeles. It offers a unique education with courses based on the Great Books and seminar method...
, in Santa Paula, California.
SII students would read and discuss the same works from the official reading list of Great Books authors chosen for their impact on the intellectual life of Western Civilization
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
, regardless of the creed
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
or philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
of the authors. For instance, in their first semester, freshmen read works by Ancient Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
and Semitic
Semitic
In linguistics and ethnology, Semitic was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages...
pagans
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
, including Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
, Aristophanes
Aristophanes
Aristophanes , son of Philippus, of the deme Cydathenaus, was a comic playwright of ancient Athens. Eleven of his forty plays survive virtually complete...
, Sappho
Sappho
Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet, born on the island of Lesbos. Later Greeks included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC, but little is known for certain about her life...
, and the Epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Mesopotamia and is among the earliest known works of literature. Scholars believe that it originated as a series of Sumerian legends and poems about the protagonist of the story, Gilgamesh king of Uruk, which were fashioned into a longer Akkadian epic much...
. At the same time, the SII also drew upon and emphasized Roman Catholic contributions to the Western tradition, as represented by such Catholic authors as the early Church Fathers
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
, St. Augustine
St. Augustine
-People:* Augustine of Hippo or Augustine of Hippo , father of the Latin church* Augustine of Canterbury , first Archbishop of Canterbury* Augustine Webster, an English Catholic martyr.-Places:*St. Augustine, Florida, United States...
, Boethius, St. Thomas Aquinas, Dante
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
, Chaucer, Cervantes
Cervantes
-People:*Alfonso J. Cervantes , mayor of St. Louis, Missouri*Francisco Cervantes de Salazar, 16th-century man of letters*Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban composer*Jorge Cervantes, a world-renowned expert on indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse cannabis cultivation...
, as well as more recent Catholic thinkers like John Henry Newman, G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
, and the fathers of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
.
Like Thomas Aquinas College, the SII espoused academic freedom
Academic freedom
Academic freedom is the belief that the freedom of inquiry by students and faculty members is essential to the mission of the academy, and that scholars should have freedom to teach or communicate ideas or facts without being targeted for repression, job loss, or imprisonment.Academic freedom is a...
by not limiting admissions to applicants of any religious or philosophical belief. Students tended to be Catholic, but some non-Catholics became students and faculty members.
Unlike some other institutions with Great Books curricula, the SII operates within a larger university and does not constitute an alternative to the obligatory major that USF students declare before graduation. The original program was strong in the humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
(languages, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, composition (language)
Composition (language)
The term composition , in written language, refers to the collective body of important features established by the author in their creation of literature...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
) but had a weaker offering in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and the natural sciences. Students who fulfilled the requirements of the SII were awarded a Certificate in the Liberal Arts, by which USF and the SII certified that the student had achieved USF's general education requirements toward an undergraduate degree.
Controversies
For its first quarter-century, the SII was a lightning rod of controversy within the university and the Roman Catholic Church. The SII's traditional approach itself provoked controversy. Some members of the university criticized what one scholar called a "parti pris" approach to education with a narrow Catholic — mostly papal — perspective.Faculty of the SII clashed with members and friends of USF's Department of Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
who objected to SII's practice of hiring theology professors for SII classes rather than relying upon the Department of Theology to provide these faculty. The SII rejected interference by the Department of Theology because the SII wanted to maintain a strong adherence by its faculty to theological positions loyal to the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and Magisterium
Magisterium
In the Catholic Church the Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Church. This authority is understood to be embodied in the episcopacy, which is the aggregation of the current bishops of the Church in union with the Pope, led by the Bishop of Rome , who has authority over the bishops,...
of the Roman Catholic Church, especially on moral matters such as contraception, abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. Eventually the differences between the SII and the Department of Theology were symbolized by their contrasting responses to Ex Corde Ecclesiae
Ex Corde Ecclesiae
is an Apostolic constitution issued by Pope John Paul II regarding Catholic colleges and universities.Promulgated on August 15, 1990 and intended to become effective in the academic year starting in 1991, its aim was to define and refine the Catholicism of Catholic institutions of higher education...
, issued by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in 1990. The papal document calls for a mandatum to be signed by professors of Catholic doctrine as a kind of testament to the instructor's orthodoxy. The SII faculty readily signed the mandatum as a self-defining act. Meanwhile, USF and the Department of Theology resisted signing the mandatum, as did theologians in many other U.S. Catholic universities in a controversy that continued for over a decade.
Various events also sparked debate, with the SII's continued existence frequently called into question. In 1978, the SII hosted a symposium to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the promulgation of Humanae Vitae
Humanae Vitae
Humanae Vitae is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI and issued on 25 July 1968. Subtitled On the Regulation of Birth, it re-affirms the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church regarding married love, responsible parenthood, and the continuing proscription of most forms of birth...
, the encyclical
Encyclical
An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Catholic Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop...
by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
condemning contraception
Contraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
. British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge
Malcolm Muggeridge
Thomas Malcolm Muggeridge was an English journalist, author, media personality, and satirist. During World War II, he was a soldier and a spy...
delivered the keynote address, arguing that contraception is a lethal threat to Christian civilization. Another speaker, Fr. Gerald Coleman, dean of St. Patrick's Seminary, Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
, delivered a minority opposition paper at the symposium, "allowing theological dissent and reception of communion by couples practicing artificial birth control."
In 1987, USF's campus minister denied access on Sundays for the SII's popular but controversial chaplain, Fr. Cornelius M. Buckley, to celebrate Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
, alleging that his liturgies fostered a cult-like following. Critics of the decision expressed regret at the loss of variety in styles of liturgical worship at USF caused by the campus minister's ruling. Buckley's liturgical approach was described as more "simple" and "solemn."
Also in 1987, the SII faced its greatest crisis to date when the university president fired Fr. Fessio from his position as the SII's first director, over a disagreement concerning the use of a $1 million gift that San Francisco benefactress, Mrs. Louise Davies, gave to the SII. Fr. Robert Maloney, S.J., succeeded Fessio as director. Fessio continued to teach theology at USF and in the SII until 1992, when he resigned to spend more time developing Ignatius Press
Ignatius Press
Ignatius Press, named for Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order, is a Catholic publishing house based in San Francisco, California, USA. It was founded in 1978 by Father Joseph Fessio SJ, a Jesuit priest and former pupil of Pope Benedict XVI...
, the lay-run publishing house he directs in San Francisco.
Controversy again erupted in 1988 when the USF student government required that an SII student who was the editor-in-chief of the university's award-winning newspaper, the San Francisco Foghorn
San Francisco Foghorn
The San Francisco Foghorn is the official student newspaper of the University of San Francisco.Originally founded in 1903 as The Saint Ignatius, the newspaper changed its name to the San Francisco Foghorn in August 1928, making it one of the oldest collegiate newspapers on the West Coast...
, accept a co-editorship arrangement in the interests of journalistic objectivity.
Additional controversies took place during the term of the SII's third director, John Galten. Under his watch the SII's faculty had to design a course in Asian philosophy to satisfy pressure from the university to incorporate non-western sources into the curriculum. A renewed clash was brought on by the transfer of the SII's chaplain, C.M. Buckley, away from San Francisco. Buckley, a published historian and translator with decades of university teaching experience, was assigned the bed chaplaincy at a Catholic hospital in Duarte, California
Duarte, California
Duarte is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 21,321, down from 21,486 at the 2000 census....
, an assignment that Fessio would also be forced to accept some years afterward.
Despite these controversies, some SII faculty members and alumni expressed in print that their experience at USF had been enriched by their participation in the SII's intellectual community.
Revamping
USF totally revamped the SII in 2001, when the new university president, Jesuit Fr. Stephen A. Privett, summarily fired Director John Galten and Associate Director John Hamlon, allegedly to trim costs and because the two were not believed to be qualified to head an academic program, despite the fact that they had been doing so for many years. Most of the SII's faculty resigned in protest. The affair received national media coverage. Conservative leaders expressed support for Galten; they included former U.S. Secretary of Education, William J. Bennett, and Michael NovakMichael Novak
Michael Novak is an American Catholic philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat. The author of more than twenty-five books on the philosophy and theology of culture, Novak is most widely known for his book The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism...
of the American Enterprise Institute
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
, in a full-page ad published in the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
and elsewhere. In a memo published nationally, Privett responded to criticism of his decision, stating that the replacement of the SII's leadership would promote "synergies between St. Ignatius Institute and other university programs" and create "efficiencies by consolidating resources." He held a conference with students to assure them that the SII would continue as a Great Books curriculum with qualified instructors.
Within the Catholic Church, the controversy went all the way to the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. A letter of support for the SII went to Pope John Paul II signed by Fessio's former PhD thesis advisor Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then-prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
(now Pope Benedict XVI), and by Cardinal Christoph Schonborn
Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
Christoph Maria Michael Hugo Damian Peter Adalbert Schönborn, OP is an Austrian Cardinal of the Catholic Church and theologian. He currently serves as the Archbishop of Vienna and President of the Austrian Bishops Conference...
, archbishop of Vienna, Austria, and editor of the official Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the official text of the teachings of the Catholic Church. A provisional, "reference text" was issued by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1992 — "the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council" — with his apostolic...
. Reportedly the letter was personally approved by the pope.
Nevertheless, at the pope's behest, an official letter from the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education
Congregation for Catholic Education
The Congregation for Catholic Education is the Pontifical congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for: seminaries and houses of formation of...
supported the authority of the then-Archbishop William Levada
William Levada
William Joseph Levada is an American Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Since 2005, he has served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, making him the highest ranking American in the Roman Curia. He was previously the Archbishop of Portland from 1986 to 1995 and...
to resolve tensions between the SII and USF. The archbishop chose not to reverse the firings.
SII is now headed by Assistant Professor Sean Michaelson, S.J. and includes many faculty from the university that share little of the SII's original vision of Catholic education.
Offspring
The ousting of Director John Galten and his faculty at the SII spawned offspring institutions. Galten, with the assistance of Fessio and his Ignatius PressIgnatius Press
Ignatius Press, named for Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order, is a Catholic publishing house based in San Francisco, California, USA. It was founded in 1978 by Father Joseph Fessio SJ, a Jesuit priest and former pupil of Pope Benedict XVI...
, launched Campion College of San Francisco in 2002, located just off the USF campus. Friends and alumni of SII also organized a sister college, Campion College of Washington, DC, but it never began operations.
Campion was a two-year Great Books program that effectively transplanted the SII reading list and curriculum, under Galten's watch, to a new junior college granting Associate of Arts degrees to its graduates. Campion operated for two years, graduating fourteen students, before financial constraints forced its closure.
Fessio's participation in the founding of Campion College was viewed by USF authorities and by the Society of Jesus as a direct challenge. Consequently, Fessio's superiors ordered him to have no contact with the new school, and they transferred Fessio to the same Duarte, Calif., hospital where Buckley was chaplain. Fessio later resurfaced as founding chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
and, later, provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
of Ave Maria University
Ave Maria University
Ave Maria University or AMU is a private Catholic university in southwest Florida, United States, founded in 2003. The university moved to its permanent campus, situated in the planned town of Ave Maria, east of Naples, Florida, in August 2007...
, a new Catholic university launched in Naples, Florida
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
, by the mercurial billionaire, Thomas S. Monaghan
Tom Monaghan
Thomas Stephen "Tom" Monaghan is an entrepreneur and Catholic philanthropist and activist who founded Domino's Pizza in 1960. He owned the Detroit Tigers from 1983-1992....
, founder of the Domino’s Pizza chain. There Fessio would also run into difficulties with university authorities who stated that they had "irreconcilable differences" with Fessio "over administrative policies and procedures," and who—according to Fessio—objected to his traditional approach to liturgical worship. Fessio was fired from his post, but then rehired to a lesser position at the university.
Notable alumni
- Mary Beth Bonacci, internationally known speaker and columnist.
- Delia GallagherDelia GallagherDelia Buckley Gallagher is an American journalist based in Rome who currently serves as the Senior Editor for Inside the Vatican magazine. She formerly served as CNN’s Faith and Values Correspondent. Based in New York, Gallagher was a long time CNN Vatican Analyst, Vaticanologist, and religious...
, journalist (Rome-based), Senior Editor, Inside the Vatican, formerly CNN Faith and Values Correspondent. - Tom Hoopes, former executive editor, National Catholic RegisterNational Catholic RegisterNot to be confused with the National Catholic Reporter or the Catholic RegisterThe National Catholic Register is the oldest national Catholic newspaper in the United States. It was founded on 8 November 1927 by Msgr. Matthew J...
; co-editor, Faith and Family Magazine. - Francis J. Kelly, managing director and head of Government Affairs, Americas, Deutsche BankDeutsche BankDeutsche Bank AG is a global financial service company with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. It employs more than 100,000 people in over 70 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets...
; former writer for Presidents Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and George H.W. Bush - Jason KenneyJason KenneyJason T. Kenney, PC, MP is Canada's current Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. He has represented the riding of Calgary Southeast in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997....
, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism; Government of Canada. - The late Prince Robert and the late Prince Edouard-Xavier de LobkowiczLobkowiczThe Lobkowicz family is one of the oldest still existing Bohemian noble families dating back to the 14th century...
de Bourbon-Parma, former Lieutenants in the French ArmyFrench ArmyThe French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
, members of Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and grandnephews of the last HabsburgHabsburgThe House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
rulers of Austria and Hungary. - Ed McFadden, advisor to Senator Fred Thompson; former advisor to U.S. Attorney General John AshcroftJohn AshcroftJohn David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
, and senior editor, Reader's DigestReader's DigestReader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
; - George Neumayr, editor, Catholic World Report; former executive editor, American Spectator; contributor, National ReviewNational ReviewNational Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
; contributor, California Political Review; former editor, San Francisco Faith; Hoover InstitutionHoover InstitutionThe Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded in 1919 by then future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, an early alumnus of Stanford....
Media Fellow. - John Norton, journalist, editor of Our Sunday VisitorOur Sunday VisitorOur Sunday Visitor is a Roman Catholic publishing company in Huntington, Indiana which prints the American national weekly newspaper of that name, as well as numerous Catholic periodicals, religious books, pamphlets, catechetical materials, inserts for parish bulletins and offertory envelopes....
, former reporter for the Rome bureau of Catholic News ServiceCatholic News ServiceCatholic News Service is an American news agency covering the Roman Catholic Church. CNS was established in 1920 and is a leading source of news for Catholic print and broadcast media throughout the world....
and international news anchor for Vatican RadioVatican RadioVatican Radio is the official broadcasting service of the Vatican.Set up in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, today its programs are offered in 47 languages, and are sent out on short wave , medium wave, FM, satellite and the Internet. The Jesuit Order has been charged with the management of Vatican...
. - Adrian Walker, theologian, editor of CommunioCommunioCommunio is a federation of theological journals, founded in 1972 by Joseph Ratzinger, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac, Walter Kasper, Marc Ouellet, Louis Bouyer and others. Communio, now published in fifteen editions , has become one of the most important journals of Catholic thought...
International Catholic Review, English translator of books by Pope Benedict XVI.
Notable faculty and guest lecturers
- Mother TeresaMother TeresaMother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
of Calcutta - Cornelius M. Buckley, SJ, Historian, Chaplain
- The Rev. Louis BouyerLouis BouyerLouis Bouyer was a French Lutheran minister who converted to Catholicism in 1939. During his religious career he was a scholar who was relied upon during the Second Vatican Council....
, C.O., theologian of the French Oratory - Dr. William Coulson, PsychologistPsychologistPsychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, Proponent of ethnopsychology, Former colleague but eventual opponent of pioneering psychologists Abraham MaslowAbraham MaslowAbraham Harold Maslow was an American professor of psychology at Brandeis University, Brooklyn College, New School for Social Research and Columbia University who created Maslow's hierarchy of needs...
and Carl RogersCarl RogersCarl Ransom Rogers was an influential American psychologist and among the founders of the humanistic approach to psychology... - Hans Urs Von Balthasar, Swiss theologian
- Anne Prah-Perochon, Ph.D., Founder and Editor-in-Chief, France Today
Further reading
- St. Ignatius Institute, Newsletter of the St. Ignatius Institute, aprox. 7 vol. (1976–2000)
- Cornelius M. Buckley (former SII chaplain and professor), "The Saint Ignatius Institute: A traditional Catholic College," America March 25, 1978
- J. Card. Villot, Letter of The Holy Father Paul VI, Signed by the Secretary of State, to Msgr. John Raphael Quinn, Archbishop of San Francisco, Friday, 21 July 1978: on "the Symposium commemorating the tenth anniversary of “Humanae Vitae” sponsored by the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the University of San Francisco." vatican.va
- Raymond Dennehy (former SII professor), "Is a Catholic University a "Contradition in Terms"? The Mission of the Catholic University," New Oxford Review, Sept. 1980
- James Hitchock, The Pope and the Jesuits: John Paul II and the new order in the Society of Jesus (National Committee of Catholic Laymen, 1984): discusses Fr. Fessio and SII
- Joseph Fessio, S.J., "Admittance of Women to Service at the Altar as Acolytes and Lectors," Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Newsletter 11:2 (March 1988) pp. 14–16
- Leiva-Merikakis, Erasmo, "Louis Bouyer the Theologian," Communio 16, no. 2 (1989): 257-76.
- Cornelius Buckley, S.J., "Conscientious Objector: A Jesuit resists forced membership in a faculty union," Crisis Magazine, Oct. 1990
- John R. Dunlap, "The Translator's Vision: USF Professor Erasmo Leiva," San Francisco Faith, 1998 (about former SII professor) sffaith.com
- William Casement, "Whither the great books?" in Academic Questions 15:4 (Sept. 2002) 36-51: discusses success of Great Books curricula and references the SII
- Larry Witham, "Pope intervenes in San Francisco campus dispute," The Washington Times, March 25, 2001
- Kelly Yamanouchi, "Students, staff protest consolidation of Jesuit institute," The Washington Times, March 31, 2001
- "New SII Director Embodies Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Ignatian Spirituality," USF News, The Newspaper for the Campus Community, 10:8 (April 11, 2001)
- Don Lattin, "USF institute's fate divides hierarchy: SF archbishop discusses Vatican's concerns," San Francisco Chronicle, July 7, 2001
- John L. Allen, Jr.John L. Allen, Jr.John L. Allen, Jr. is an American journalist based in Rome who specializes in news about the Catholic Church. He is senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and vaticanologist of CNN and NPR. Allen is also the author of several books about the Catholic Church...
, "Institute defenders reach pope," National Catholic Register, July 29, 2001 - Adrea Billups, "USF trustees urged to ax president's reorganization," The Washington Times, 2001
- Paul Likoudis, "USF President Suppresses St. Ignatius Institute," The Wanderer, Feb. 1, 2001
- Jake Vollebregt, "Second Thoughts," National Catholic Register 77:7 (Feb. 18, 2001)