Catholic entrepreneur launches business startup program for teenagers

Denver Newsroom, Dec 21, 2020 / 09:35 am (CNA).- The outcome of a Vatican appeal involving same-sex civil marriage and the Catholic identity of an Indiana school could have effect on a pending religious liberty lawsuit, and on the way other Catholic schools approach the issue of Catholic identity among their faculty.

Layton Payne-Elliot is a math teacher at Brebeuf Jesuit High School in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. In 2017, the school became aware that Payne-Elliot had contracted a same-sex marriage with Joshua Payne-Elliot, a teacher at Cathedral High School, which is also in the archdiocese.

The archdiocese asked that both schools not renew the teachers’ contracts, because, they said, teachers in Catholic schools are supposed to be witnesses of Catholic doctrine, and contracting a same-sex marriage constitutes a public act of counterwitness to that doctrine.

Brebeuf refused the archdiocesan instruction. In turn, the archdiocese revoked the school’s recognition as Catholic. The school appealed that decision to the Congregation for Catholic Education.

Curial officials close to the case have warned for months that Indianapolis’ Archbishop Charles Thompson is unlikely to find support for his deployment of the “nuclear option” in response to the school’s decision on Layton.

Several Vatican officials have told CNA that after some gestures of consideration, Brebeuf’s Catholic identity will likely remain intact, and the practical autonomy of institutes administered by religious orders will be bolstered by the Congregation’s decision.

A decision against Thompson could impact an ongoing civil lawsuit over the same case.

Joshua Payne-Elliot, who taught at Cathedral High School, filed suit against the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in 2019, after he was fired from his position. His case is currently before the state Supreme Court; this month the court rejected a request from the archdiocese to dismiss the case.

Cathedral High School’s handbook states that the “personal conduct” of all teachers should “convey and be supportive of the teachings of the Catholic Church.”

The Department of Justice has filed an amicus brief on behalf of the archdiocese, saying that “religious employers are entitled to employ in key roles only persons whose beliefs and conduct are consistent with the employers’ religious precepts,” and the government cannot interfere “with the autonomy of religious organizations.”

But according to The Indiana Lawyer, a judge in the litigation offered an unexpected settlement proposal last year.

Judge Stephan Heiman suggested that the parties reach a settlement that would depend on the Vatican’s decision in Brebeuf Jesuit’s canonical appeal against the archbishop. The judge suggested that if the archdiocese prevailed in Rome, the civil litigation would be dismissed, but if Brebeuf won in Rome, “the liability of the Archdiocese to Payne-Elliott would be established as a legal matter.”

Payne-Elliot accepted the idea, but the archdiocese did not. It’s worth noting that the judge’s proposal seemed to consider that the Congregation for Catholic Education will rule on the issue only as a matter of principle, when, in fact, there are any number of technical canonical issues at play, all of which may be a factor in the canonical case.

Heiman has recused himself from the case, and a special judge has been appointed.

But Heiman’s proposed settlement indicated that he saw a correlation between the Congregation’s decision and the case before him. That idea may well be picked up by Judge Lance Hammer, who is now overseeing the case, or argued for by Payne-Elliot’s attorneys, especially if the Congregation decides against Thompson without clarity on the reasons.

In short, the canonical specifics of the Vatican’s decision may well prove an operative factor in the ongoing civil litigation.

Of course, a decision against the archdiocese could also have a chilling effect on other Catholic institutions which require that teachers or employees live according to Catholic doctrine. It is unlikely bishops will be willing to press institutions in their diocese on such requirements, especially institutions administered by religious institutes, if they expect Rome won’t support their decisions on the matter.

Across the U.S., Catholic bishops in recent years have strengthened their policies on the Catholic identity of employees, in light of a number of religious liberty decisions in U.S. courts. But to understand how those policies might actually be applied in the years to come, many will now be looking to Rome, and to Indianapolis.
 

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Dodge City, Kan., Mar 4, 2019 / 04:11 pm (CNA).- Fat Tuesday celebrations have included parades, carnivals, and parties. But have you ever heard of a pancake race?  

Olney, England, and Liberal, Kansas, will compete against each other March 5 in the International Pancake Race, a 415-yard competition involving pancakes, skillets, and some serious flipping skills.

This is the 70th race since the friendly feud began in 1950. Last year, Liberal beat Olney with the victory of Gaby Covarrubias, a local parishioner at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.

“It was an awesome experience. My first time running and winning was not what I expected. I had always wanted to race but never had the courage to sign up,” she told CNA.

“I didn’t enter the race with intentions of winning. I just wanted to be a part of the tradition,” she said. “This is a huge value to our community. It makes our community unique and brings us together each year.”

Although the competition has only been observed in Kansas for the last 69 years, the race itself is actually much older, said Greg Bird, general chairman to the Pancake Day Board. The committee runs the Pancake Hall of Fame, which is located at the finish line.

Originating in Olney in the 15th century, the tradition stems from the tale of a woman, who was so late to church she ran with pan in hand and apron still tied around her waist.

Like other pre-Lenten observances, the event is traditionally a means for Christians to purge their kitchens of provisions which would be surrendered during the 40 days of fasting and abstinence.

“Getting ready for Lent, everyone was trying to use up all their fat before Lent started. So there was a [woman] in Olney cooking up pancakes trying to use up her fat, when the Church bells started ringing for the shriving service,” Bird told CNA.

“The story is she got there a little bit late, the door was closed so she had to knock on the door of the Church to get permission to come in and the minister had to open the door, give her a kiss of peace, and let her come into the service.”

The race still clings too many of the old traditions. It is only permitted for women, 18 and older, who must compete in an apron, a headscarf, and a skirt. Once the race begins, the women must flip the pancake, run on an “S” shaped course similar to one in England, and complete the race with a pancake flip. As tradition demands, the winner of the race then receives a “kiss of peace.”

Numerous other activities surround the event. Over the weekend, a pancake eating and flipping contest was held, and Sunday concluded a talent show. Tuesday morning will kick off with a large breakfast, expecting to feed over a 1,000 people.

The event will include speeches from dignitaries and ministers. Since the race is international, officials from the either community will also speak at the event if they are visiting the opponent’s home town. In the spirit of unity, Liberal will perform both the US national anthem and God Save the Queen. This year, the Liberal Lutheran pastor will give a homily.

The race in Liberal has only 15 spots available for competitors, but the whole day contains races inclusive to the whole community, like kid races, a shorter race for women over 50, and a men’s race.

“We have a pacers’ race, which is for the guys. The intention was, at the starting line, the guys would take the ladies coats and run the race a head of them so when the ladies did the race they would have their coats at the end,” said Bird.

After the contest, the town gathers for a service at the First United Methodist Church put on by the community’s ecumenical group, the Liberal Ministerial Alliance. Pancake Day then concludes with the awards ceremony, a video call with Olney to determine the victorious town, and a parade.

The competition is not only a financial benefit as a tourist attraction, but it is also a time for camaraderie and spiritual preparation. Pancake Chairman Mike Brack told CNA that it prepares the community for the Lenten sacrifice.

“It’s a great way to celebrate the tradition of Pancake Day and the beginning of Lent – the importance of preparing for Lent,” he said.

“It’s a coming together of our community, that’s what it was designed to do. The Lenten message of reminding of ourselves of the sacrifices that we have to make and doing that as a community…It’s very significant,” he further added.

Father Jacob Schneider, parochial vicar at St. Anthony of Padua parish, told CNA the event is an extension across Christian denominations and ethnic lines. He said the event is an ecumenical experience and a unification of the entire town, which, because of the county’s factory work, includes large portions of immigrants and ethnicities.

“It does, even for the very least because of pancakes, bring people together, who normally would never cross paths. In that regards, it is a really communal activity,” he said. “This is one of the few overreaching activities that has somehow transcended all the different cultures.”

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A man tends to his goats in a village in Kerala, India. / Credit: Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Feb 6, 2024 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
Hundreds of thousands of Indian Catholics are petitioning the government to improve living conditions there.The Syro-Malabar… […]