The solution has been suggested by Mario Castillo Freyre a professor at the University of Peru.
The Vatican recently stripped the institution of the right to call itself Catholic.
Meanwhile, the current rector has criticised Cardinal Bertone and called a priest a “terrorist”.
What the University of Peru needs is a temporary rector, a new leader who is capable of reopening dialogue between the Catholic Church and the “rebel” university which was stripped of the titles “Pontifical” and “Catholic”.This is what Mario Castillo Freyre, a professor at the university is asking for. The idea would be to substitute the current rector, Marcial Rubio, who instead of accepting the Holy See’s provisions for the academic institution under its authority, decided to verbally attack two cardinals and call a priest of the Archdiocese of Lima a “terrorist”.
These last nine days have changed the history of the former Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, ever since the moment (on Friday 20 July) when the Vatican decided to withdraw the institution’s titles. While the university community appeared profoundly surprised, its leaders – having received orders from Rome – became literally mutinous.
The announcement that the rebel university planned to maintain its rebellious position against the Holy See came first from the rector and then from the University Assembly.
They did not agree to modify the statutes to conform to the guidelines outlined in the Apostolic Letter “Ex Corde Ecclesiae” which John Paul II had written over twenty years ago. They did not even seem willing to allow the Archdiocese of Lima, legitimate executor, to take charge of the institution’s administrative management.
It was only to be expected then that the removal of the titles “Pontifical” and “Catholic” would not go down too well with the university.
Its heads saw this as an out right declaration of war. Marcial Rubio confirmed this himself during a conference (Wednesday 25 July) attended by over 3.000, professors and students at the campus’ sports centre in Lima.
Vatican Insider was given access to the content of the meeting, during which the rector attacked the leadership of the Catholic Church. He frequently referred to Cardinals Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State and Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, Archbishop of Lima, as the main obstacles to “peace”.
“My conscience is clear. We did all we could to reach an agreement and we thought they would accept our request. But we became aware that their warning was purely administrative and bureaucratic and peace was not taken into consideration,” Rubio said.
He also stated that the university based itself on democracy not “authoritarianism.” He pointed the finger at Cipriani as the single cause of the conflict, saying he “has never wanted peace.”
He accused Bertone - who signed the decree for the removal of the titles and wrote the letter explaining the decision – of supporting deceitfulness and of wanting a “servant university.”
Rubio claimed the decree lacks seriousness and asked himself “What happened? It forbid, from the verb to forbid, and this verb should not exist in the university.” Even if that document had received the Pope’s consent, he said he was certain that Benedict XVI had not read it.
“From one day to the next you no longer have a name and you have to change it…You don’t even have any assets either because they belong to the Church, because they are ecclesiastical…because in theory the university should always obey…This is slavery…they have the West Indies in mind,” he added.
He concluded by calling Fr. Luis Gaspar, a member of Lima’s ecclesiastical tribunal a “terrorist” because he publicly supported the idea of the university no longer being allowed to award degrees.
According to Rubio, these words were aimed at spreading fear among the university’s 22 thousand students, 3 thousand professors and 1.500 members of staff.
“This is terrorism,” he stressed with a half smile. To which the auditorium responded with a burst of applause.
But not all members of the former PUCP community supported open conflict as a solution.
Professor Mario Castillo Freyre stated that many professors and alumni are not happy with the conflict strategy proposed by Rubio.
“I am a member of the Catholic Church and a member of the university. I do not want a conflict; I want a reopening of dialogue. The Vatican decree offers the possibility of settling this affair,” he explained. And this is the reason why he has put forward the idea a temporary rector; someone who can really represent the interests of a Catholic university.”