Intermediate Lesson (Gr. 7-10) Focus on the Pope and the 2013 Conclave Understanding the Role of Media as a tool to understand the Conclave
Teacher’s Note: If they have been in religion classes for most of their school years, students this age usually know more about the pope and the process for his election. They might be more aware of various popes in history, including St. Peter, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope’s teaching authority pertains to both matters of faith and morals and promoting the Christian virtues to the Christian people in temporal matters of justice and charity. As the Vicar [representative] of Christ on earth, he can teach the faithful in several ways but always with the purpose of leading the faith of Christian people to the Truth. As part of the Magisterium [the official teaching office of the Church], he can speak infallibly in matters of faith and morals. This authority is exercised when he speaks from the chair of Saint Peter called “ex cathedra.” Here he speaks under the authority of the Word of God in Jesus Christ. This has been exercised twice in the dogmatic revelations of the Immaculate Conception and Mary’s assumption into heaven. The extraordinary magisterium can also be exercised in communion with the bishops throughout the world. This teaching authority proposes truths to be believed by all the faithful in matters of faith and morals and when their intention binding the whole Church is sufficiently evident. The Ecumenical Councils are one example of this teaching practice. This does not necessarily make such teachings infallible (without error). It does make a presumption of truth. The conclave represents the electoral process for selecting a new pope. All cardinals under 80 years old will remain, under locked doors, until they choose a new pope. The voting proceeds without speech or debate. Each cardinal receives a ballot and inscribes a name. A two-thirds majority is needed for election. Each completed ballot is placed on an open paten, then dropped into a chalice. If the two-thirds majority is not reached, the ballots are burned in a stove with a chemical to emit black smoke. White smoke signals the election of a new pope. Balloting occurs twice a day until a pope is elected. The presiding cardinal approaches the elected for his consent. If he accepts, he chooses a papal name. He then dresses in white [cassock and zucchetto] and is announced to the world from the balcony above Saint Peter’s Square.
CGEs A discerning believer formed in a Catholic faith community An Effective Communicator A Reflective, Creative and Holistic Thinker A Collaborative Contributor
Curriculum Expectation New Elementary Religious Education Policy This lesson is strongly connected to the Big Idea that the Church is a hierarchical structure and a unity of persons who share one common mission to building up the reign of god on earth. Grade 7 Strand: Believing, BL 3.2 Strand: Living a Moral Life, ML 1: Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of the Church’s teaching role Grade8 Strand: Believing, BL 3.2 Strand: Living in Solidarity, LS3.3 Grade 9 Religion Strand: Christian Moral Development Explain what makes authority legitimate Grade 10 Religion Strand: Profession of Faith Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Church in God’s plans for salvation		Learning Goals: I will describe the role of the Pope and his teaching authority in the life and mission of the Church. I will understand the process of a conclave for electing a pope. I will critically analyze the positive and negative contributions of (social) media as related to informing people about the Conclave. I will work collaboratively and practice ways of making my thinking and opinions known in my academic conversations.
Prayer/Scripture Reflection Knights of Columbus prayer for the Papal Transition by Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore O Lord Jesus Christ , Supreme Pastor of Your Church, we thank you for the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI and the selfless care with which he has led us as Successor of Peter, and Your Vicar on earth. Good Shepherd, who founded Your Church on the rock of Peter's faith and has never left Your flock untended, look with love upon us now, and sustain Your Church in faith, hope, and charity. Grant, Lord Jesus, in Your boundless love for us, a new Pope for Your Church who will please You by his holiness and lead us faithfully to You, who are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen. Scripture: Acts 2:14-41; Acts 15:1-31; John 17:1-23 - The Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the successor of Peter and serves the Church universal. Catechism of the Catholic Church: 892 The Pope, like the bishops, may exercise the ordinary teaching magisterium. The Pope may teach the faithful through encyclicals, sermons, pastoral letters, explanations, and liturgical documents. Popes have taught in addressing the colonization of peoples, the right to own property, on international violence, the indissolubility of marriage, on just wages and conditions of the working person. The ordinary magisterium may propose teachings on matters of faith and morals when it is unanimous [universal agreement] in their teaching. One example of such a truth of faith is “The Church is the Body of Christ.”
Instructional Components
Readiness Collaboration skills Explicit understanding about the skills of conversation Comfortable with technology Prior schema about the Pope and the organization of the Church Media Mindfullness	Vocabulary/Terminology convoke Peterine Ministry solicitude Cardinal Collins Cardinal Turcotte Cardinal Ouellet		Materials/Resources Access to technology: LCD/computers/Smartboard BLM 1: Pope Benedict’s Resignation Address http://saltandlighttv.org/vaticanconnections/ Busted Halo video: How Do They Choose the Pope? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUtj8nd_pl4
Day 1 Minds On: State: The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII in 1415. He resigned for the good of the church during a time when there was conflict about who was the validly elected pope. How many years ago was this? With a partner, read Pope Benedict Resignations address made on Feb. 10, 2013. Highlight and discuss any new vocabulary that you encounter and use context clues to predict the meaning of the word before looking it up in the dictionary. Discuss the reasons why the pope resigned. Underline any evidence from the resignation address that supports your answer. Select a few pairs to share their responses. Now watch the actual resignation address from an episode of Vatican Connections from Salt and Light T http://saltandlighttv.org/vaticanconnections/ The episode is called Papal Resignation. Invite students to share their opinions and compare the two examples: the written text vs. the live coverage. Ask: How will the next pope be chosen? (Conclave of the Cardinals) We are now going to watch a video from Busted Halo on the Conclave. As you view it for the first time, think about the purpose for its creation? Who is its intended audience? What is its main message? What are some of the techniques and features that were used to capture your attention? Is there any bias or reason for concern as you watch it critically? Record your thoughts in an appropriate graphic organizer of your choice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUtj8nd_pl4 Divide students into groups of four to share their notes from the graphic organizer. Encourage students to add new information that they did not have in their charts. Tomorrow, we will re-watch the video but this time our purpose will be to identify and analyze important information about the process of the Conclave. Pray the Knights of Columbus Prayer for this Time of Papal Transition.
Day 2 Activation: Pray the Knights of Columbus Prayer for this Time of Papal Transition. Re-watch the Busted Halo video with a new purpose for viewing: to identify and analyze important information about the process. Give each student 3-5 sticky notes or index cards. Ask them to write questions from the information that they learn about the process of the Conclave. After viewing, reform the groups of 4 from Day 1. This time, have the students first read and then sort their questions. Tell them to remove any duplicates or questions that can’t be answered from the information from the video, edit the wording of questions that lack clarity, and add new questions that the group may have thought of together, etc. Make sure that the question have answers written on the front of them and together, now, order the questions into piles of $5, $20, and $100 questions. Use a cooperative structure like Numbered Heads to choose a Game Host who will read the group’s questions aloud and an official scorekeeper who will calculate winnings. Organize simultaneous quiz shows simulations, pairing teams against each other, to review the process of the Conclave.
Consolidation Student will complete an exit card: 5 key facts that I learned about the Conclave are: How is the media contributing to the upcoming Conclave? Extension: Visit other websites to view different articles found on the internet through the Scavenger Activity. Hold a Mock Conclave after viewing the ppt: The Contenders. Use the internet to create Cardinal Trading Cards that would include a photo, the country he represents and personal information like his age, date he was ordained, membership in any special committees, etc. Collect and display information leading up to the Conclave. As a class, predict who you think will be chosen as Pope based on your research.

BLM1 Names: __________________________

Pope Benedict’s Resignation Address

Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church.

After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.

For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff.

With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.

From the Vatican, 10 February 2013