Engaging Faith

Perhaps you have told your students that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops recently created an Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. In his testimony before the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Chairman, Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, CT cited several reasons why the bishops’ conference assembled this committee. In August 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued regulations that mandate the coverage of contraception and sterilization in almost all private health insurance plans. In May 2011, HHS added a new requirement for government contracts for services to victims of human trafficking and unaccompanied minor refugees. This prevented the USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) from continued participation in the program because it cannot provide abortion and contraception, the new requirements. The State Department’s U.S. Agency for International Development has recently been requiring that contractors (such as Catholic Relief Services) distribute condoms and other forms of contraception in their relief and development programs. The federal Department of Justice (DOJ) has increased its attack of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), calling it an act of bigotry. The DOJ is undermining the “ministerial exception” through attacking it directly. At the state levels, “same-sex marriage” is threatening adoption and foster care administered by Catholic Charities and similar agencies. Regarding the attack on ministerial exception, on January 11, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court Justices ruled unanimously in favor of the Hosanna-Tabor Lutheran Church over the plaintiff who filed a claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This is the first time that the Supreme Court has ruled on this First Amendment issue. “Ministerial exception” takes the courts out of intervening in employment matters when doing so would require them to assess the performance of religious employees who carry out religious functions such as preaching or leading worship. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. wrote for the court, “The interest of society in the enforcement of employment discrimination statutes is undoubtedly important. But so too is the interest of religious groups in choosing who will preach their beliefs, teach their faith, and carry out their mission.” (Pew Forum) The U.S. bishops see this as a victory for religious freedom though there remains much work to be done.

Teens have great resources available to them for unpacking history, especially related to how history impacts lessons within and related to the Church. For example, related to the new translation of the Roman Missal, consider having students interview older Catholics who lived through a more dramatic change in the translation, from Latin to the vernacular after the Second Vatican Council. They may ask questions like “How were you informed and instructed in the changes?” and “What were some of the reactions of parishioners to the changes?” With the presidential elections coming up in November, interviewing older friends and family members about previous elections and the ethical issues associated with them may help soon-to-be first-time voters sort through the competing strengths and weaknesses of the various candidates in primaries, caucuses, and the general election. Interviewing veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or the first Iraq war about the end of those wars can help students make parallels or contrasts with the quiet end of the Iraq war in 2011. Julia Letts, a former BBC reporter and producer, has facilitated many oral history projects with students. In addition to the value of the information gained from the interviews themselves, she has seen oral history projects create rapport between generations, teach various skills, form friendships, and promote goodwill. Oral history need not be technical but rather involves creating an opportunity for students to speak with people from different generations. Preparing students for the interviews and using clear recording equipment is important. Depending on the assignment, students can find people to interview themselves, or you can invite the adults to your classroom. In the latter case, a class of thirty might have ten students assigned to each adult; the ten form five pairs who then ask questions about distinct eras of the interviewee’s lives or on different topics. Students can use the results of these interviews to create dramatic performances, CDs, exhibitions, and websites, and otherwise learn skills about editing audio or video and archiving. Research the copyright implications of these interviews prior to publishing them. (See the “Resources on the Guardian Teacher Network” for additional ideas for projects and tips for using the interviews effectively. Christine Schmertz Navarro

Engaging Faith

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