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Good morning, Kristin,
Archbishop Etienne, in his letter to the faithful of western Washington, has invited each of us “to defeat divisiveness with understanding, rancor with amicability, hatred with compassion, mistrust with greater willingness to listen.”
Our Catholic schools hold a unique responsibility to foster unity within diversity, countering the temptation of division. In particular, we are reminded that “the [Catholic] school must be the first social setting, after the family, in which the individual has a positive experience of social and fraternal relationships as a precondition for becoming a person capable of building a society based on justice and solidarity” (Congregation for Catholic Education, par 19).
Our division often arises from our lack of knowing. The USCCB, echoing Pope Francis’s vision for “a better kind of politics,” encourages us to embody three enduring qualities: charity, clarity, and creativity.
In charity, we affirm the dignity of every person, even those with whom we disagree. Seeking clarity, we remain open to the process of dialogue that can require change of perspective in service to the inviolable dignity of all and the common good, identifying shared values. Finally, we are called to exercise creativity, to act as bridgebuilders and to see differences in perspective as opportunities for creative tension which can yield solutions for the common good.[1]
May each of your communities know peace today and always, dedicated to serving the common good.
With gratitude,
NICHOLAS FORD | Superintendent
Office for Catholic Schools | Archdiocese of Seattle
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