Catholics and the Pledge of Allegiance?

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blackforest

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I have been homeschooling so far and am thinking of enrolling my children in Catholic school. I do not believe in forcing children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I’m not here to debate that belief and would appreciate not going down that rabbit trail.

What I’d like to know: Is there anything in Roman Catholic teaching that obligates my children to recite the Pledge on demand?

I am happy to ask that my children stand quietly and respectfully until it is over - there’s no need to Kapernick the matter -but this seems like it’s more about politics than religion. I’d appreciate any respectful insights. Thank you.
 
Thank you - that’s what I suspected. I’d like to refrain from discussing/debating the merits of children reciting the Pledge because that’s a political topic (and a hot one, at that!), and I’m trying to focus on the religious aspect.
 
As far as in “Roman Catholic teaching”, no.

But as far as the Rules for students at the school they are enrolling at, that may be a different story entirely.

Call the school and ask them what their policy is, as a private institution, they can do as they please. If you disagree with whatever their rule is, you shouldn’t enroll your kids in that school.
 
The Church says nothing about reciting a pledge of allegiance. So if you don’t want to, you don’t have to. On the flip-side, if you want to you can.
 
Romans 13:1-7 (New American Bible) excerpt from USCCB.ORG

"Obedience in Authority.*

1 Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God.

2 Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves.

3 For rulers are not a cause of fear to good conduct, but to evil. Do you wish to have no fear of authority? Then do what is good and you will receive approval from it,

4 for it is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword without purpose; it is the servant of God to inflict wrath on the evildoer.

5 Therefore, it is necessary to be subject not only because of the wrath but also because of conscience.

6 This is why you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.

7 Pay to all their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, toll to whom toll is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due."
 
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I’m not a fan of it because it was written by a socialist, I’d rather kids be taught an oath the constitution.
 
I’m with @Augustinian. It’s not a question of what the Church says about it, it’s what that particular school says about it. If it’s a deal breaker for you, choose another school.
 
To my knowledge, most public and private schools make children say the Pledge. Unless I stick with homeschooling, or try a Waldorf or free democratic school, it’s going to be hard to avoid it.
 
Most states make the recitation of the Pledge and a moment of silence mandatory observances in public schools, and the Catholic schools tend to follow those same laws. The laws allow individual objections provided they aren’t disruptive.
 
OP just wants agreement; not questions or debates

so; OK with lt custer if your children attend Catholic school; stand respectfully & be perfectly quiet while their classmates recite the POA

trust me no one will notice or care…

everything OK now? stay the course…
 
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You are correct that I’m trying to avoid a political debate over whether or not to say the Pledge.

The tricky thing is that this will be a really small classroom, about 6-10 students, so they will be noticed. I will probably just take it up with their teachers. I’m probably overthinking this, and it won’t turn out to be a big deal if they just stand quietly.
 
Why on earth would expressing allegiance to one’s own nation be political? Such is traditionally the default stance of any citizen regardless of political party affiliation. Yet, would not the refusal to offer such allegiance wreak of politics? Would it not tacitly express that, for political reasons, one has no allegiance to their nation? Indeed, in such a case, one must conclude that the objector places his or her personal politics above citizenship or civic duty.
 
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Cor_ad_Cor said:
Most states make the recitation of the Pledge and a moment of silence mandatory observances in public schools, and the Catholic schools tend to follow those same laws. The laws allow individual objections provided they aren’t disruptive.
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I have never heard of a “moment of silence” being mandatory at any public school in Colorado, and this is my 21st year of teaching. What are you talking about? 🤔
 
blackforest said:
To my knowledge, most public and private schools make children say the Pledge.
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Several states require public school teachers to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. I doubt if any actually require all students to say the Pledge. That would be shot down by the courts very quickly.
 
Indiana and other Midwestern states have it since they couldn’t legislate prayer. It was quite trendy after 9/11 to have put into law, especially in more conservatively governed states.
 
PaulfromIowa said:
Several states require public school teachers to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. I doubt if any actually require all students to say the Pledge. That would be shot down by the courts very quickly.
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For public schools, that’s true. The Supreme Court has already ruled in a Jehovah Witness case that children can’t be compelled.

However, this is a private, Catholic institution. If the school has the teachers lead the children in prayer, it isn’t a problem, they can enforce such a rule if they like
 
The Church has never objected to citizens making pledges or oaths of allegiance to their countries–and some past concordats have required it–provided there is nothing contrary to the faith in the oath (and this held true even for regimes that weren’t Catholic).

Whether you say the pledge or not, citizens still have a moral duty of allegiance (properly understood) to their country and rulers.

See Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 2238 to 2243 here:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a4.htm
 
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Thank you. This is the type of insight I was seeking. It sounds rather complex. The Church neither forbids nor requires the pledge.

"2242 The citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel. Refusing obedience to civil authorities, when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience, finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving the political community. "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s."48 “We must obey God rather than men”:49

When citizens are under the oppression of a public authority which oversteps its competence, they should still not refuse to give or to do what is objectively demanded of them by the common good; but it is legitimate for them to defend their own rights and those of their fellow citizens against the abuse of this authority within the limits of the natural law and the Law of the Gospel.50"

Are children intellectually developed enough to understand what they are compelled to pledge? Can a Kindergartner define “allegiance” or “Republic?”

If you pledge allegiance “to the Republic for which [the flag] stands,” are you pledging allegiance to Obamacare or Planned Parenthood funding? Is there “liberty and justice” for the unborn?

Are there other ways, consistent with Catholic teaching, to express love and fidelity to one’s country? (Spoiler alert: The answer is yes - http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/ )
 
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