A newly released Vatican report on U.S. seminaries has significant relevance for lay students in Catholic higher education, The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) observed.

The report, which follows a review of U.S. seminaries between 2005 and 2006, shows several positive developments at American seminaries in recent years. However, problems such as faculty dissent, homosexuality, liturgical abuse and poor curriculum -- while mostly cleared from diocesan seminaries -- are still problematic at many seminaries controlled by religious orders.

“As with the seminaries, American Catholics have seen much improvement in Catholic higher education in recent years,” said CNS President Patrick Reilly. “But where challenges to an authentic Catholic identity remain, they are most often found at colleges affiliated with particular religious orders. Meanwhile, other religious communities have set a wonderful example by remaining vigilant over their institutions, which are models of fidelity and genuine liberal arts education.”

Several of these colleges are featured in The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, published by CNS, including:

    - Aquinas College (Tennessee) – Dominican Sisters

    - Belmont Abbey College (North Carolina) – Benedictine Monks

    - Benedictine College (Kansas) – Benedictine Monks and Sisters

    - DeSales University (Pennsylvania) – Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

    - Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio) – Third Order Regular of St. Francis

    - St. Gregory’s University (Oklahoma) – Benedictine Monks

    - University of St. Thomas (Texas) – Basilian Fathers

The remaining 14 colleges in The Newman Guide are entirely led by faithful lay Catholics.

“All too often we find that the theology faculties at many Catholic colleges and universities include dissident scholars,” Reilly said. “The Congregation wisely notes that dissent on matters of faith leads to disharmony in the educational institution, and that ‘there can be no possibility of a unity of direction’ where there is ‘widespread dissent.’”

The Congregation for Catholic Education also reported: “Quite often, the Visitation discovered one or more faculty members who although not speaking openly against Church teaching, let the students understand -- through hints, off-the-cuff remarks, etc. -- their disapproval of some articles of Magisterial teaching.”

The report notes that seminarians still carry with them the much of the negative influences of the culture in which they were raised. “Yet, the candidates often also evince some of the problems of our time. Not infrequently, they come from broken families, or from backgrounds with little faith experience or knowledge of Catholic doctrine. They may be weighed down by their past, which also complicates the work of formation.”

With regard to Catholic higher education, Reilly said: “Lay students at Catholic colleges are clearly also impacted by the Culture of Death, which has crept onto even Catholic campuses. Often young men and women discover and pursue religious vocations after attending a Catholic college—all the more reason why the renewal of Catholic education must continue unabated.”

This week CNS reported on large numbers of religious vocations coming out of faithful Catholic colleges like Thomas Aquinas College in California, Christendom College in Virginia and others.