Series includes bipartisan discussions, lectures, debates

Leading up to the U.S. presidential election, Notre Dame Campus Ministry is offering a series of events on faith and politics. According to the Campus Ministry website, the series seeks to “help everyone at Notre Dame engage [in the election] season with thoughtfulness and charity.”

In a comment to the Rover, Becky Czarnecki, Assistant Director of Faith and Justice in Campus Ministry, explained the purpose of the series: “We hope our series will facilitate meaningful conversation and help students engage with one another in thoughtful, charitable, and compassionate ways.”

Czarnecki continued, “Here in Campus Ministry, we want to create outlets for students to be guided by God’s voice with a posture of listening and respect as we approach this important election.”

On October 2, the series kicked off with a “Bipartisan Friendship Talk” in Duncan Student Center, led by Czarnecki. Attendees included students in a variety of disciplines from all four years. As students introduced themselves, many expressed their excitement about voting in an election for the first time and taking part in the democratic process.

Czarnecki began with a presentation on the Catholic Church’s teachings on politics, quoting the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2015 document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.” “In the Catholic Tradition,” Czarnecki read, “responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.”

The presentation then addressed partisanship in the Church. “People don’t realize … that the Church is not partisan. … No one in the Catholic Church is supposed to tell you who to vote for.” Rather, Czarnecki asserted that Catholics “have to champion the marginalized and act for justice.” Because of the Church’s bipartisan nature, Czarnecki stated, “Two well-formed Catholics or Christian people can disagree on matters of prudential judgment.” 

Czarnecki also presented an overview of Catholic Social Teaching, including principles of human dignity, the common good, solidarity, and subsidiarity. Specifically, Czarnecki focused on the Church’s call to a “consistent ethic of life,” citing a list of life-related issues, ranging from abortion to immigration. “This is really challenging for some people,” Czarnecki stated, “because if you try to pick [a] typical Democrat or typical Republican, you’re not going to fit on either side. … There’s no perfect candidate in today’s U.S. election that … champions all of these.

Czarnecki’s statements mirrored similar comments made by Pope Francis earlier this year. During a press conference, the Holy Father spoke on the upcoming U.S. election, saying, “You have to vote, and you have to choose the lesser evil.” He continued, “What is the lesser evil? That woman, or that man? I don’t know. Each one, in his or her conscience, must think and do this.”

In the presentation’s second half, Czarnecki discussed polarization, following a framework created by Father Robert Aaron Wessman. Wessman describes polarization through three processes: sorting, homogenization, and intensification. 

Czarnecki then opened the floor by asking students whether they experience any aspects of polarization at Notre Dame. Several students stated that they encounter a wide diversity of views in their conversations on campus, while others expressed disappointment that students often sorted into “groups” of those with similar opinions.

Czarnecki concluded the presentation with a video of a TED talk on “bipartisan friendship” in action. The talk was given by Caitlin Quattromani and Laran Arledge, two lifelong friends with opposing political views. “For most of us, political conversations are a zero-sum game … ” Arledge says. “But what if we change the way we think about these conversations? What if, in these heated moments, we chose dialogue over debate?”

Following the video, Czarnecki led students in an exercise to practice bipartisan dialogue. Students were paired up and told to discuss the question, “Should there be a drag show at Notre Dame?” 

After ten minutes of conversation, Czarnecki asked students to describe their experience discussing a “provocative” question. Students said that they enjoyed talking with people who weren’t necessarily their friends because it allowed them to be “upfront” about their views without fear of damaging relationships. Others said that they found the conversation easy because they were “indifferent” to the topic.

Following the event, Czarnecki spoke to the Rover about the importance of engaging in dialogue with others, saying, “These events, including my Bipartisan Friendship Talk, provide space for us all to engage in dialogue, rather than debate, and the opportunity to genuinely listen to one another with compassionate curiosity.” She continued, “Jesus tenderly listened to the needs of the people, with special attention for the most marginalized, and he took time to reflect and pray.”  

In a comment to the Rover, freshman Connor Savage praised the event: “I loved how the talk began with how we, as people of faith, should approach political discussion.” He also expressed appreciation for the event’s educational value, saying, “The talk supplied me with skills to have a productive dialogue with a friend I may not agree with politically. It was a great event to participate in during election season.”

Events concerning the election have an interested audience in the Notre Dame student body. A recent poll by the Irish Rover demonstrates that students are tuned-in to the election’s potential impact, with many stating strong opinions on the current administration’s policies. The poll shows strong division on campus, with former president Donald Trump favored by less than two percent.

Campus Ministry is not the only group leading student discussions on political discourse. BridgeND, Notre Dame’s chapter of BridgeUSA, offers students the opportunity to engage in political discussions year-round. According to the club’s website, BridgeND “[seeks] to engage students of all backgrounds and political ideologies to discuss public policy issues of national importance and encourage engagement with the political process.” 

Junior Maddie Colbert, President of BridgeND, spoke on the importance of bipartisanship at Notre Dame in a comment to the Rover. “As a Catholic, I think it is very important to show why civic engagement is a part of living out our faith, as we are called to promote the good of every person and the whole person,” she said. 

Colbert added, “Being involved with BridgeND, I really enjoyed the event on bipartisan friendship, since learning how to have difficult conversations in a respectful way can deepen trust and understanding towards others.” 

The series will continue on October 10 with Campus Ministry’s “Talk Justice, Eat Tacos” event, a “group discussion about living our faith as voters.” On October 28, Campus Ministry will host a “Restorative Justice Circle,” followed by “Mass for the Preservation of Peace and Justice” in the basilica on October 29. Finally, the series will conclude on Wednesday, November 6 with a “Post-Election Prayer Service” at the Our Lady of the Lake Peace Plaza.

Haley Garecht is a junior studying political science with a minor in constitutional studies. She is cautiously optimistic about the MLB playoffs after a Phillies walk-off win on Sunday. For play-by-play updates, please email her at hgarecht@nd.edu.

Photo Credit: Notre Dame Campus Ministry 

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