Conclave curriculum: How Lincoln Catholic schools are teaching about picking a new pope

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — As Cardinals cast their votes for pope, Catholic schools in Lincoln see this as a teaching moment.

Inside classrooms at Pius X Catholic High School, students are learning what it means when cardinals gather to choose a new pope.

It’s something unfamiliar to the students.

“Our students in their lives have only known Pope Francis,” Principal Terry Kathol said.

SEE ALSO: Black smoke pours from Sistine Chapel chimney, indicating no pope was elected as conclave opens

The school is blending religious tradition with critical thinking, helping students understand the global impact of the choice.

“Probably the most common questions I’ve been hearing are, ‘How long is it going to take? Who do you think is going to make it?'” said the Rev. Samuel Beardslee, a chaplain at Beardslee. “Some of the boys are saying, ‘Who do you think is going to be drafted?'”

Kathol said this is more than just a religious lesson, it’s a moment of reflection about leadership, justice and service.

SEE ALSO: ‘It feels like a gift’: Nebraskan training for the priesthood witnessing history in Rome

For sixth graders at St. Teresa Catholic School, the conclave education is a very hands-on experience.

They filled out paper ballots, and while they’re not burning them, they have a creative way of showing whether they chose a new pope.

They have gift bags with black and white tissue paper, representing the black and white smoke.

SEE ALSO: Lincoln Catholics gather to pay homage to Pope Francis at Memorial Mass

And while the next pope will be chosen far from Nebraska, his legacy may already be forming in the hearts and minds of young believers here at home.

“Anytime I think students are talking about their faith, it just helps them grow in their faith,” Kathol said.

And Beardslee said with tradition and faith guiding the conversation, these students are connecting with something bigger than themselves.

“The big call that I give to the students is, we’ve already seen what bad leaders in the church can do,” he said. “It’s important for not only the leaders to take their faith seriously, but also for us as members of that faith to take it seriously.”

SEE ALSO: ‘You do feel a loss’: Lincoln Catholics mourning Pope Francis