Section — Bucceroni, Commentaries (1910)
XII. Obligations of Teachers and Students
- Concerning obligations, a few things must first be said concerning Rectors of Colleges and pupils; then concerning the obligations of teachers and students.
- The chief obligation of Rectors of Colleges and Boarding Schools is to see to it that pupils learn the rudiments of the Christian faith and are duly instructed in the offices of Religion; then that they are imbued with honest morals and become accustomed to the frequency of the sacraments; finally that they give work with progress to useful studies. - The reason is that for this end parents place their sons to be educated in Colleges and Boarding Schools. Therefore the Rectors of Colleges and Boarding Schools enter into the obligations of parents, who owe their sons especially corporeal and spiritual education. And although parents should fail in their office in this matter, nevertheless the Presidents and Rectors of Colleges and Boarding Schools cannot therefore be negligent in this matter; for they are obligated to have that care and diligence by force of the very office undertaken, which is a certain participation in paternal power itself.
- Pupils of Colleges are bound to exhibit to their superiors love, and cult, reverence and obedience, in those things which look to their authority and care; likewise necessary support. - They owe love, because Superiors of Colleges have care of them as it were paternal. Hence "they are called fathers because of the likeness of care." St. Thomas, 2.2, q. 102, a. 1, c. They owe honor and cult. For their Superiors are truly constituted in dignity and truly have the office of governing. "By reason of excellence honor is owed to them, which is a certain recognition of someone's excellence. But by reason of the office of governing, cult is owed to them, which consists in a certain obsequium; namely, while someone obeys their command, and repays in his own measure the return for their benefits." St. Thomas, 2.2, q. 102, a. 2. Cf. also a. 1 and q. 103, a. 2. They owe obedience: for obedience is owed to all superiors. Obey, says the Apostle, Heb. 13:17, your prelates, and be subject to them. For they watch as if about to render an account for you. - Finally they owe support, or an honorarium or pension; for many expenses must be sustained, and their very work and care is estimable by price and most worthy. Let the priests who rule well, says the Apostle, 1 Tim. 5:17, 18, be held worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and doctrine: for the worker is worthy of his wage.
- Acts of this kind, of love and obedience, are formally acts of the virtues of charity and obedience; but insofar as they proceed from the cult of Superiors, "they are contained in a certain way under observance." St. Thomas, 2.2, q. 104, a. 3, ad 1. But honor and cult properly look to the virtue of observance, which obligates subjects and superiors mutually, as the virtue of piety obligates those joined by blood mutually. For the relation of subject and superior founds a special obligation to certain acts of virtues, just as the conjunction of blood founds a similar obligation. Whence also the virtue of observance reductively pertains to the fourth precept of the Decalogue. But there are two kinds of men toward whom the virtue of observance obligates us. The first kind is of Superiors who have spiritual power over us, such as the Supreme Pontiff, Bishops, Pastors, or also Confessors. The second kind is of secular Superiors, who have temporal power over us, such as Kings, Princes, Leaders, or also Masters of a house, or fathers of families with respect to servants. Likewise Rectors or Superiors of Colleges. Struggl., tr. 7, q. 2, a. 4, n. 23. Finally the stipend owed pertains to commutative justice.
- Since, therefore, the reason of superiority can be various, obedience likewise can be manifold: ecclesiastical, civil, sacramental, by force of the sacrament of penance to be received with respect to the Confessor, voluntary by reason of vow, domestic or economic, etc.
- But by the natural law itself, in seminaries, colleges, and boarding schools, pupils are bound to denounce corrupters who bring great spiritual damage to others; nor can they be absolved unless they consent to a denunciation of this kind.
- But here it is asked whether Superiors of Colleges and Rectors of Seminaries can, for the right discipline of the College or Seminary, establish rules or statutes obliging in conscience? - R. Affirmatively; for they have true authority, at least economic, and they have true care of the common good, for which it is especially expedient that determined rules to be observed be present, at least under a penalty to be undergone by transgressors. Yet this faculty, as is clear, is limited. For it extends only to those things to which their prelacy is ordained. St. Thomas, 2 Sent., D. 44, q. 2, a. 3. Busembaum apud St. Alphonsus, l. 3, n. 361, says: "Students sin... if they do not obey in things pertaining to studies and good morals... if they do not observe the laws of their Gymnasium, or the statutes of the Academy, if indeed these oblige to sin."
- Between teachers likewise and students there are in a certain way also the same obligations as between parents and children. The reason is that parents, whose proper right and obligation is the education and instruction of children, substitute teachers for themselves, who therefore in this matter hold their place toward the children.
Therefore teachers and preceptors owe to students love, good example, right education, correction, true doctrine. - Hence they are bound to perfect themselves in the science which they teach, for duly instructing others; to promote the progress of students in letters, as far as lies in them; to avert them as far as they can from others who are defiled with depraved morals, and whom they must in no way admit in their schools. - They can fail also gravely when they neglect the instruction of students, or punish them unjustly or indiscreetly; but especially if they seduce them by impelling them to sins; if they do not teach good morals; if deliberately they teach false things as true, or things harmful to salvation; if they retain pupils imbued with evil morals, who are pernicious to others, etc. - But they can fail gravely both by reason of office and by reason of the stipend which they receive. - L. 361.
If a teacher has undertaken special care of the education of his students by quasi-contract, by contrary sins, for example of scandal, not only charity but also justice is violated. Whence the condition of teacher must be explained in those things.
Students are bound in turn to exhibit to teachers love, reverence, and obedience, on account of the superiority and care of the same, while they are instructed by them in good morals and arts. The reason is clear: for the reciprocal obligation of students toward teachers imports this, since teachers would plainly be obligated in vain to instruct them, or to imbue them with good morals, unless students likewise were obligated to follow the admonitions and precepts of teachers. - But students sin, gravely or lightly from the very gravity or lightness of the matter and its various circumstances, if they do not obey teachers in things pertaining to studies and good morals; if they do not exhibit honor and reverence to teachers; namely, if instead of studying diligently they waste time in idleness, play, or other foolish things against the will of their teachers; if they detract from teachers, or ridicule them, mock them, afflict them with curses, calumnies, troubles, etc. - C. 1, ult., de Magistr. etc.; Clem. 2, e. t.; L. 361; St. Thomas, Quodl. 3, a. 10.
The condition of student must be explained in grave sins against due reverence and obedience. Otherwise grave malice against observance is not declared.
- Does someone lawfully accept the office of Rector or Professor in the Universities of modern Governments, in which incorrect doctrines are handed on by other Professors?
R. Affirmatively, provided he himself reproves the false doctrines of the other Professors and in no way favors them; and fulfills his office of Rector or Professor according to the norm of Christian doctrine. The reason is that cooperation in such a University is merely material and very remote, since, if one refuses, and he an honest and Catholic man, many others will not be lacking, and they either unworthy or certainly less worthy and fit. Besides, a grave cause of cooperation of this kind is had: namely, not only on the part of the person himself, that is, the reception of an honorarium for the sustenance of himself and his own, but also, and especially, on the part of society itself, namely, the evil of the young to be impeded, and their good to be promoted; which certainly would be greatest if honest and Catholic men themselves would strive before evil and impious men to direct public schools, and to teach publicly in them. - S. O., March 21, 1866, Collect. S. C. de P. F., n. 1294.
All public Doctors and Teachers of any discipline whatever, from Trent, S. 25, c. 2, de R., and from the Constitution Sacrosancta of St. Pius V, are bound, before they enter upon the office of teaching committed to them, to emit the profession of faith according to the formula prescribed by Pius himself, as also those to be promoted to the scholastic grades of doctor, etc.
- May someone lawfully study in a University or other school of a modern Government, in which false doctrines are handed on by the professors, and receive in it the academic grades of Bachelor, Licentiate, Doctor?
R. Affirmatively, if there are no other Catholic schools, and provided there is no danger of perversion as regards faith and morals, and any false doctrine which is heard against Religion is reproved from the heart, and nothing is done by words or works to sustain it. The reason again is that material and sufficiently remote cooperation can be excused from a legitimate cause, which here is the reason of learning doctrine, the impossibility which is present of going to other schools, and which would be had for obtaining academic grades. - Leo XIII, to the Romans, Aug. 16, 1878; Instruct. S. C. de P. F., Jan. 16, 1841; June 30, 1875; S. O., Nov. 24, 1875; March 14, 26, 1895; Collect. S. C. de P. F., v. 2, n. 1449, 1890, 1260.
- "Teachers and pedagogues sin: ... if they deny the insignia of the doctorate to the worthy, and confer them on the unworthy; which Navarrus says is mortal, especially in Theology, Canon Law, Civil Law, and Medicine; for in Philosophy Cajetan perhaps judges it to be only venial." Busembaum apud St. Alphonsus, l. 3, n. 361.
"Let no one hereafter be presented with the laurel of Theology and Canon Law who previously has not completed the established course in scholastic philosophy. But if he is presented with it, let him be presented in vain." Pius X, encyclical Pascendi, Sept. 8, 1907.
If someone in the same year is enrolled simultaneously in the Theological Faculty and that of Canon Law, even if in diverse Institutes, let him exist deprived of every right to receiving grades. But if he is presented with any grade, let him be presented in vain. S. C. Stud., July 11, 1896.
Academic grades obtained at Rome or elsewhere in Catholic Universities or Pontifical Institutes are to be judged altogether valid in other places without new confirmation or new taxes being exacted. - Monit. Eccles., v. 21, p. 398 seqq.