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A GUIDE FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS
By Anne E. Neuberger
The Catholic Church is nonpartisan. It does, however, call us to be political. In their document, “Faithful Citizenship,” the United States Catholics bishops state, “Believers are called to be a community of conscience within the larger society and to test public life by the values of Scripture and the principles of Catholic social teaching. Our responsibility is to measure all candidates, policies, parties, and platforms by how they protect or undermine the life, dignity, and rights of the human person, whether they protect the poor and vulnerable and advance the common good.”
(see “Faithful Citizenship")
It is our children’s right as citizens in a democracy to learn about our political process. It is the adults’ responsibility to teach them. Catholic parents and teachers have a unique responsibility in this area, for they must help their children understand what Jesus asks of them as they become part of their greater community.
POLITICS AND THE MYSTICAL BODY
The connection between faith and politics for Catholics can be found in the teaching of the Mystical Body of Christ. Understanding that we are connected to Jesus and one another is an important first step for children.
• FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, the concept of the Mystical Body will be understood with some explanation: What is the ‘Mystical Body’? St. Paul tells us that each of us is connected to Christ, which in turn connects us to one another. He uses the analogy of the body: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 6:15); and “We, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another.” (Romans 12:3) Over time, this concept has come to be called ‘the Mystical Body of Christ.’
• FOR CHILDREN IN GRADES 3-6, this concept can be better explained by using a quote from St. Teresa of Avila: “Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.”
• FOR CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL-GRADE 2, the Mystical Body concept is much too abstract. They can best relate to a paraphrased version of the St. Teresa quote: Jesus has no body here on earth now, but yours! He needs your hands and feet to help those who need help. He needs your eyes to look and see who needs his help.
Following is a guide for parents and teachers to nurture a child’s Christ-like compassion and to develop a sense of political and community responsibility. You will find practical suggestions and activities for:
• Preschool through grade 2: Being Part of Jesus’ Family
• Grades 3-6: Creating a ‘Community of Conscience’
• Grades 7-12: Connecting Church and Citizenship
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