U.S. Catholic college presidents summoned to meet pope

Benedict XVI isn't expected to chastise the educators during his East Coast visit this week, but he might challenge them to promote a stronger Catholic identity for their schools.
By Rebecca Trounson,
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 15, 2008

In a summons that is prompting both anticipation and unease, Pope Benedict XVI has asked the presidents of all U.S. Catholic colleges and universities, along with Catholic school superintendents from across the country, to meet with him this week during his East Coast visit.

Will Benedict, who was viewed as the Vatican's "enforcer" of Roman Catholic orthodoxy before he became pope, chastise American educators for not adhering more strictly to traditional church teachings? Or will he celebrate the historic strength of the church's schools in the United States, home to the largest collection of Catholic colleges and universities in the world? the rest