The Vatican appoints their headmaster or headmistress. A bioethical council watches over their education.
– When you get your medical degree here, you will not know how to perform an abortion, says Sandra Guitierrez, a student at Universidad Católica, one of the largest universities in Chile.
The magnificent stone columns lining the entrance probably used to be white long ago. But after a century of exhaust fumes from one of the busiest streets, Avenida Alameda, they have turned pale brown. Universidad Católica is the oldest university in Chile, founded by the end of the 19th century by the archbishop in Santiago, Maiano Casanova. This due to the growing secularization within the educational system. Just like Corcovado Mountain outside Rio de Janeiro, the main building is embellished by a giant statue of Christ. With open arms and pious eyes he gazes out over cars and buses in a bustling maze during the afternoon rush.
Runs its own television channel
Universidad Católica is one of the most well-reputed universities in Chile. Spread over the multimillion city Santiago, the four campuses have a total of 21 000 students. The university has its own national television channel and both a major football club and a metro station are named after it.
– If you’re studying to become a reporter, this is the best university in Chile to study at. The admission credits are high and the university is prestigious. If you get a degree here, finding a job is a lot easier, Sebastian Luhuedé says.
He and his classmates Sandra Guitierrez and Angeles Adonis are in their first year studying journalism. They spend their break between the lectures on a bench in the shadows. The November sun is beating down upon the courtyard of the main building.
All three are believing Catholics, but only Sandra goes to church. They didn’t come here for the university’s religious impress.
– Actually, that’s more of a drawback in some ways. They have a tendency here to teach only what’s been decided by the Church, Sandra says.
– We had a course in anthropology and you could tell that it was anthropology with ecclesiastical values. Sex without love is wrong, and things like that. It’s the little things, but if you add them all up you’ll know from where the influences come, she continues.
“There are differences”
Pedro Morandé meets me with a smile and a firm handshake in his bright office on the second floor, and then points at a comfortable chair in black leather. A tiny silver cross is the only decorative item on his desk.
Pedro Morandé is a professor in sociology. After roughly 35 years at Universidad Católica he does not doubt there are differences between this university and non-religious ones.
– You don’t have to be a Catholic in order to be a teacher here. We have teachers here who are agnostics, Jews and so on. What they have to do, though, is to respect the principles and values that the university – as a Catholic institution – has, he says.
Research is affected
Even the research is affected to some extent, Pedro Morandé says.
– It depends on which discipline we are talking about. In physics or mathematics it has no significance. But some areas are more directly concerned – you have to take on the Church’s ethical approach.
– Research concerning human life has to be done with special respect and carefulness. Our Bioethical Centre makes sure that the research fulfils these requirements, he says.
Sandra Guitierrez claims that this is why it would be better to study to become a doctor somewhere else.
– The medical education is said to be very much governed by the Church, she says.
Abortion is illegal
From a Swedish point of view this could seem odd. But the free research in Chile has actually never been very free; the entire system on which the university is founded is permeated by ideology.
While Universidad Católica is the standard-bearer for the Catholic values, the largest university in the country – the public Universidad de Chile – is more known for its left-wing radical image. In the institution of sociology at one university the walls are covered with posters and notices about religious gatherings and church charity projects. In the other university the walls are decorated with lyrics by the murdered folk singer-songwriter Victor Jara and a huge portrait of Che Guevara.
Despite a speedy liberalization during the last few years, Chile is a very conservative society when it comes to values. 70 percent are Catholics and divorce was legalized just a couple of years ago.
The fact that abortion is not a part of the education at Universidad Católica might not be that strange, since the actual procedure is totally prohibited in the country and results in three to five years in prison, even in such cases as incest and life threatening pregnancies.
A papal university
Universidad Católica – or Pontificia Universidad Católica, which is its full name – is far from being the only Catholic university in Chile. But only two universities are allowed to call themselves Pontificia, which means papal.
The epithet is a mark of honour, issued by Pius XI in the 1920s, but also means that the university submits to the authority of the Vatican. The archbishop of Santiago automatically becomes the chancellor of the university and has the double task of watching over the Catholicism in the university and also electing a headmaster or headmistress when the university has come up with suggestions. This candidate is finally approved by the Pope. All students also have to take a basic course in theology, disregarding whether or not they are aiming at becoming doctors, economists or lawyers.
“There are worse examples”
Sebastián Luhuedé and his friends still think that the influence of religion at the university is at a reasonable level.
– The teachers here are a lot more conservative than those at Universidad de Chile for example. The latter one is probably the most progressive and liberal among the older universities. But among the younger private universities it is the opposite. Universidad de los Andes, for example, is run by Opus Dei. They’re a lot worse than Universidad Católica, a lot more strict. For instance, the girls’ skirts cannot be too short, he says.
– Or a plunging neckline like this…, Angeles Adonis says and looks down at her black summer tank top.
Translation: Johan Pettersson
