In this corner we have the man in white – the man who struck fear in the heart of liberal theologians everywhere whose mission was the Inquisition. Aided by the Holy Spirit here’s the the Octogenarian Theologian, the Pope who loves Theology without apology, Pope Benedict XVI.

Over in the opposing corner we have the idea that doesn’t allow adversity, the treasure of every Ivy League University -Diversity!

That’s how Newsday, one of the nation’s largest newspapers is trumpeting the Pope’s visit. So Newsday comes out and pits the Pope against diversity. You know how much the Pope hates diversity, right? Well now he’s coming to America to wipe it out! Run for your lives.

In today’s article, they set up this straw man argument.

More than half of St. John’s students are not Catholic. Nationally, Catholic universities and colleges are more religiously diverse than ever.

But with Pope Benedict XVI set to address U.S. Catholic educators this week and, some experts predict, call for closer adherence to church teachings, that pluralism poses a new challenge for Catholic colleges in the United States.

More than half — 57.5 percent — of this year’s freshmen at four-year Catholic colleges said they were Catholic, compared with 68.6 percent in 1995, according to one national survey.

But with Pope Benedict XVI set to address U.S. Catholic educators this week and, some experts predict, call for closer adherence to church teachings, that pluralism poses a new challenge for Catholic colleges in the United States.

Cue the dramatic foreboding music of imminent danger.

As if they really had to worry. Several Catholic colleges have come up with great solutions -that is, to say they’re Catholic and act otherwise.

Fordham University, for example, has a Protestant minister on staff at the ministry office on its main campus in the Bronx and plans to hire a rabbi for its Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan.

“We are very much rooted in the Catholic tradition, and we make no pretense about that,” said Sister Elizabeth A. Hill, president of St. Joseph’s College, which has campuses in Patchogue and in Brooklyn, where there is a small Buddhist meditation group. “At the same time, we’re not here to proselytize. Our mission is to educate.”

The school’s first endowed professorship will be in comparative religion, starting this fall with an expert in Islam. “We’re trying to be balanced,” she said.

“Rooted in Catholic tradition?” How come every time I hear that phrase I cringe. That’s because it means that we used to be Catholic. And why oh why do they see a dichotomy between their religious mission and their educational one? Does the Catholic Church teach truth? If so, then shouldn’t we be educating students in truth.

What they are really saying is that they believe diversity is more important than truth. What they’re saying is that Catholicism may just be one truth among many. But Newsday likely believes that St. John’s has “diversified well.”

Striking the right balance can be tough, said Danielle Douglas, 19, of Elmont, a sophomore criminal justice major at Molloy who is also anti-abortion coordinator for the campus ministry.

“If it’s a Catholic college, you need some type of foundation, but with the increase of non-Catholic students, it makes it harder,” Douglas said.

“We do have Mass and we do have a campus ministry, but if you’re not involved with those things, you might not know this is a Catholic college,” she said.

That’s my fear too.