THE MANDATUM: NOW WHAT? What does conscience require?
Third, although the bishops have decided that the mandatum belongs essentially to the relationship between a theologian and a bishop, the requirement occurs in the context of a canonical treatment of Catholic universities, and in Ex corde, an apostolic constitution on the subject not of theologians, but of Catholic universities. Finally the implementation plan was written by the bishops in response to this papal statement. Moreover, the exclusion or inclusion of a provision about the mandatum became part of a larger debate about specifically “juridical” controls over these universities granted to members of the hierarchy. That was the point. Thus there is a disturbing air of mystery about all this.
