Mission and specificity of a Catholic University

from the experience of Lyon Catholic University

Artus, Olivier

In France, the nineteenth century was characterized by a sharp opposition between the republicans, heirs of the French revolution, and the Catholic Church. This opposition led, in 1905, to the separation of the Catholic Church and the State.
The coexistence between Catholic Universities and the State was not always easy, and it is still not easy nowadays.
The Catholic Universities became the only places where enough competencies are gathered to have a scientific approach to Christian Tradition, and at the same time, to allow this Tradition to keep up a conversation with the contemporary culture.
“the endeavor to propose an integral education is specific to the Catholic Universities. Naturally, this prospect of “integral education” takes into consideration the fact that the majority of our students are not Christian believers. So, we try to share with them the anthropological values of the Christian tradition, but we are respectful of their spiritual choices.”