ABSTRACT
Ex Corde requires that the Catholic university must have at least few essential characteristics. First, there must be a Christian inspiration "not only of individuals but of the university community as such." Secondly, there must be "a continuing reflection in the light of the Catholic faith upon the growing treasury of human knowledge, to which it seeks to contribute by its own research." Theologians have a special responsibility for fidelity to the Christian message, but many American academics have considered the provision a threat to academic freedom and an effort by the Church to control the institutions. In addition to denigrating official Church teachings on abortion, Daniel Maguire also claims that the Bible does not condemn abortion. In fact, Maguire seems to invoke his own theological magic himself when he claims that God does not infuse a soul into the body of the fetus until the woman consents to the pregnancy.
