Freedom only makes sense when it's tied to truth, says archbishop

In an interview [...], Archbishop J. Michael Miller told The Vermont Catholic Tribune, newspaper of the Diocese of Burlington, that truth matters, even in a world where it is often minimized.

He repeated the words of Jesus, "the truth will set you free," and said that "freedom only makes sense when it is tied to the truth, what is objectively hard-wired into human experience and into the world."

Freedom that is not linked to the truth is just power or license, he added.

Catholic institutions, Archbishop Miller said, must help students recognize the fundamental value that the Catholic intellect brings to the world: the discourse about truth.

Now this is interesting...

The Congregation for Catholic Education, for which Archbishop Miller has been the secretary since January 2004, has authority in the areas of seminaries and educational institutions.

An institution may only call itself Catholic if the local bishop accepts it as a Catholic institution. Although "a very, very small number" of institutions throughout the world have decided they no longer want to be considered Catholic, "the inflow is much greater than the outflow," Archbishop Miller said, meaning more institutions are seeking a Catholic designation.

I wonder if those institutions which claim to be Catholic (but whose actions demonstrate otherwise) are to be accepted as Catholic even if a local bishop has not publicly accepted it as Catholic?

The voice of the church must be respected and heard, he said, and students must be given the opportunity to learn the convincing reasons behind what the [C]hurch teaches.

A Catholic institution, he said, is expected to foster Catholic identity and Catholic understanding.

Amen!

CNS Article here.