Conservative critics of Georgetown University have called upon Cardinal Donald Wuerl to mount a canonical investigation of the school with a view towards stripping it of its Catholic affiliation. Last night, at a ceremony in storied Gaston Hall, Cardinal Wuerl received an honorary degree from the school. I have my issues with Georgetown. I was not thrilled with their decision to give a speaking gig to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and I wish the grasped more concretely and deeply the fact that academic excellence and Catholic mission can, indeed must, go hand in hand. But, there is no denying the many contributions the school makes to the life of the Church and there is always the hope that more contributions will be forthcoming, especially if universities like Georgetown reclaim the issue of Catholic identity from the orthodoxy police at the Cardinal Newman Society. But, you don't have to be an expert tea leaf reader to grasp the fact that any canonical investigation of Georgetown is unlikely.
