Elementary school kids show up CUA Students how it's done

• Catholic Students Seek Papal Connection, y Daniela Deane and William Wan Washington Post April 18, 2008:

  As Pope Benedict delivered a message about academic freedom at American Catholic colleges yesterday, many students said they didn't relate to him as well as they did to his charismatic predecessor but were open to his message and excited to see him. ...

  "I don't think he is connecting too well with American youth, not like JP2. I don't feel a connection with him yet," said Matthew Gittens, 21, a history major from Boston, who said he grew up following John Paul II in a deeply Catholic family.

  "I still feel like I don't completely know what he's all about," agreed Brian Freiberger, 21, a business major from New Jersey.

• Area Catholics reflect on Pope's visit, Mass, by Elaine Gaston and Steve Palisin. Myrtle Beach Online April 18, 2008:

  Students at St. Michael's wished they could experience the pope in person, but seeing him live on the computer was still exciting. Shawn Morris, 11, sat in front of a computer monitor with a few other students.

  "It's pretty cool to get to see in your lifetime, for him to be in the United States where you can see him on TV," he said. "I remember sitting in the old library here at school and watching the pope being elected."

  Eleven-year-old Mary Catherine Merschat said she hoped one day to meet the pope face to face, but watching him on the Internet was something she said she'll never forget.

  "I think he's very interesting and wise," Mary Catherine said.

  "I'd like to see him one day. It will be something I'd share with my children and tell them about."

  Sister Roberta Thoen, principal at St. Michael's Catholic School, said many of the children who tuned in Thursday have followed the pope's rise, beginning with the death of Pope John Paul II in April 2005 and Joseph Ratzinger's election later that month.

  "I think it helps them learn about their own church, that we need good moral leaders," Thoen said. "They learn by watching and hearing the Holy Father. ... The little children are our hope."

It's a sad day when 20 year old college students who "can't relate" or "don't know what [the pope] is all about" are shown up by elementary school kids in their enthusiasm for learning about the Holy Father.

Meanwhile, I know 25,000 Catholic youth and seminarians who might dispute the notion that Benedict "isn't connecting too well."

P.S. The Washington Post article better reveals the prejudices of its authors rather than an accurate reflection of CUA; judging by this report of the Pope's enthusiastic reception by CUA students by Elizabeth Scalia, the majority of them responded well. Leave it to the mainstream press to search out the nay-sayers.

Feeling "detached" from the Pope?

"Some youth feel detached from the Pope", bemoans Channel 14 News (Charlotte, NC):

“The pope represents what we believe in, he sends out a lot of good messages,” said John Luttrell a senior at Charlotte Catholic High School.

Added senior Ali Gileta, “I think it’s hard for a lot of Catholics in America to feel really connected to Pope Benedict XVI since he is so far away and not a part of our everyday lives.”

At Charlotte Catholic, students in Patty Burns’ religion class are anticipating the upcoming visit. She says she understands her students’ feelings of disconnect.

“The only pope that they ever did know is Pope John Paul II,” she explained. Despite that, as leaders of the Catholic Church, young people are encouraged to listen and learn from the new pope.

“I really don’t know about the pope that much, so it’d be really interesting to know what he stands for,” said student Rachel Ainsworth.

The article's author, Lisa Reyes, writes from her blog:

One young man said Pope John Paul II was like a grandfather and when Pope Benedict XVI began his Pontificate it was like gaining a stepfather. It was a very eloquent and profound analogy. The teacher, Mrs. Burns, suggested reading a book Pope Benedict XVI wrote entitled, Jesus of Nazareth. The first book written during his Pontificate.

I have to wonder what could be wrong. Short attention spans of the children? Lack of education by their teachers? -- After all, back in 2005 more than 400,000 young people from 200 countries had little difficulty connecting with (and learning about) the Holy Father; we can expect as many will do so in Sydney, Australia July 15-20, 2008 -- which leads me to treat with skepticism the press' stories about the Pope being shy, bookish and not having as much appeal as his predecessor.

As far as reading material, here are some suggestions -- Jesus of Nazareth (2007) of course is one of the best books ever written by Benedict, and is deservedly on the top of the list. Another that I think would be geared toward students is God and the World: Living and Believing in Our Time, a 2002 book-length interview which took place over three full days spent at the Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino, with the journalist Peter Seewald. The discussion covers a variety of topics, including God, creation, Christology, scripture, sacraments, and ecclesiology. The topics are substantial (the table of contents reads like a systematic theology) but are nonetheless easily accessible, precisely because of its "dialogue" format.

By the same token, Our Sunday Visitor has compiled and published Pope Benedict's "Question and Answer" sessions with children, priests, and laity (Pope Benedict XVI: Questions and Answers) as they talk about everything from divorce and remarriage to the Mass, consumerism, relativism, sacraments, Scripture, music, sex, vocations, and more.

Also, for those with a brief attention span, Our Sunday Visitor has come out with a special pamphlet written especially for this visit, which "not only gives us the history of Pope Benedict XVI, but also gives us the history of the papacy."

In short -- if your student complains of "not knowing that much about the Pope", there are remedies aplenty (provided of course they're willing to pick up a book or a pamphlet).

Catholic University Students unveil Pope Benedict's chair

Four Catholic University architecture students today helped unveil the chair they designed for Pope Benedict XVI, which he will sit on during his address to U.S. Catholic educators:

“The role of a chair in the Church and in the experience of a pope is very important,” said the university’s president, Very Rev. David M. O’Connell, C.M., speaking to the crowd gathered on Friday in the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center for the unveiling. The Latin term "ex cathedra," Father O'Connell noted, literally means "from the chair," and is often synonymous with important papal pronouncements. “Pope Benedict XVI is going to speak not only to those gathered here but to all Catholics in our country — and he does so from this chair,” said Father O'Connell.

The four CUA students who designed the chair are: Siobhan Steen, of Paris, France, Javid Farazad of Bethesda, Md., Doug Pettit of North Branford, Conn., and Christopher Fullam of Reading, Pa. Steen, Farazad and Fullam are undergraduates in the School of Architecture and Planning. Pettit is a candidate in the school’s master’s program. ... (More)

(Via Catholic University of America Office of Public Affairs).

Catholic University has announced the winner of its student essay contest.

Georgetown students debate merits of future speech by Benedict

Pope2008 on a student debate at Georgetown University over the Pope's CUA Speech . . . which, incidentally, has yet to happen.

Richmond Catholic schools prepare for Benedict

Catholic schools prepare students for pope's visit InRich.com. March 29, 2008:

Many educators at the 29 Catholic schools serving about 10,000 students in the Diocese of Richmond are connecting classroom discussion with the six-day papal trip scheduled for next month.

"Schools are allowed to prepare students for the visit in any way appropriate," said Annette Parsons, chief school administrator for the diocese.

Eighth-graders peppered religion teacher Jim Eliasek for 35 minutes with questions equally profound and humorous one recent morning at St. Benedict's Catholic School in the Fan District.

Why does the pope ride in a limo when he's taken a vow of poverty?

Can he wear jeans?

How will he be received by non-Catholics?

[...]

Next week, the students will illustrate the facts they have memorized and make collages, bulletin boards and banners. Every student also will sign a birthday card for Benedict, who turns 81 on April 16, the second day of his trip.

On April 15, Diocesan Bishop Emeritus Walter F. Sullivan will visit All Saints to "pray with us and tell us why the pope is coming to America," Cash said. "We hope to persuade him to take our birthday card" to the pope.

Video: Catholic U. students discuss papal visit

The Catholic University of America has produced a video featuring students sharing their thoughts about the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to CUA on April 17. The video showcases more than 10 young men and women who range from freshmen to seniors answering the question, “How do you feel about the pope coming to visit Catholic University?”