The responsibilities of teaching

Recent comments posted on MOJ by Mark, Rick and Rob have served as catalysts for this posting. Both Mark and Rick have reacted to the Joan Vennochi Boston Globe essay (dealing with “enlightened” and “liberal” Catholics, to use Ms. Vennochi’s modifiers) upon which I commented earlier in the month. Rob had a series of observations about another Boston Globe report on the Harvard Law Lambda group, Ropes & Gray, and my earlier posting on that matter. Rob presented his disagreement with the law students’ view in this case when they may have pressured the law firm to drop Catholic Charities as a client over the gay adoption issue, but he also expressed admiration for students who consider the moral dimension of legal work.

Their important postings have prompted me to reflect on a common current that I believe runs through both Globe pieces. The common theme involves those who teach the law students and those who teach people in public life, be they newspaper writers or holders of public office. A good teacher has many tasks. One is to convey information. That is the most basic task of education or instruction, but if one wishes to be a good teacher—even a great one, to borrow from Thomas More—something in addition is required. What might that be? Surely to show students how to think carefully and completely and to extend investigation beyond one’s self. When a teacher does this, he or she is far more likely to take on with students the moral issues that involve what is right and what is wrong in the world and how to make proper corrections. This teacher also makes students realize that there is something and someone beyond self interests. I am not sure the Lambda students or Ms. Vennochi understand this. The Church has an obligation to teach Christ, salvation, and redemption. It teaches about virtues and sin. It teaches about hope and being in the presence of God both now and forever. If any of the Church’s teachers fail in their office, they have no one to blame but themselves. But, if they are true to their office and its responsibilities, should they bend to the criticism of Ms. Vennochi or the Lambda law students?

Perhaps the Church’s teachers, when true to their calling, will not gain the favor of the Lambda members or Ms. Vennochi, but to have the favor of God and others, well, as More responded, “Not a bad public, that...” RJA sj