Catholic schools must follow Church teaching: Pope

By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Roman Catholic schools and universities that ignore Church teachings in the name of academic freedom betray their identity and risk causing moral confusion among students, Pope Benedict said on Thursday.

Catholic dogma must shape "all aspects of an institution's life, both inside and outside the classroom," the former German university professor told over 400 heads of U.S. Catholic universities, colleges and schools.

Benedict, 81, said he supported academic freedom but argued that teachers at Catholic institutions could not contradict Catholic doctrine because it taught the ultimate truth.

"Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity and, far from advancing freedom, inevitably leads to confusion, whether moral, intellectual or spiritual," he said at Catholic University of America in Washington.

U.S. Catholic educators are debating the identity of institutions that have taken in many non-Catholic teachers and students and challenged Church teaching by allowing gay student clubs or hosting speakers who advocate abortion rights.

Critics ask why the Church should educate three million students -- in about 7,500 primary and secondary schools and about 250 colleges and universities -- if what they learn hardly differs from what state schools teach.

Instead of rebuking the educators, as some reports had suggested he might, Benedict thanked them for their "dedication and generosity."

A QUESTION OF CONVICTION