Top Vatican official asks Peru university to protect Catholic identity
(Feb.22, 2012) The Pontifical Catholic University of Peru must amend its statutes
in conformity with Vatican norms for the good of the university and the whole church
in Peru, said Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. The University’s
Rector Msgr. Marcial Rubio Correa met Cardinal Bertone in the Vatican on Tuesday
to discuss the conclusions the Holy See has reached following intense dialogue and
numerous meetings over the course of many years between the university's grand chancellor,
Cardinal Juan Cipriani Thorne of Lima, his predecessors and the university, said a
written statement released the same day by the Vatican. The Vatican's conclusions
took particular account of the outcome of an apostolic visit made to the Pontifical
Catholic University of Peru by Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo in December and of
the proposal presented by the rector at the end of that visit. The Vatican is requesting
that the university's statutes be regularized as soon as possible, adapting them
to the apostolic constitution 'Ex Corde Ecclesiae' for the good of the university
itself and of the church in Peru. "Ex Corde Ecclesiae" is an apostolic constitution
that outlines the identity and mission of Catholic colleges and provides universal
norms to ensure colleges maintain these standards. Issued in 1990 by Blessed John
Paul II, the document officially went into effect in 2001. The Vatican asked the
Catholic University of Perù to present the statutes for approval by Easter, April
8, and include "the amendments indicated to the university" last July by the Vatican.