Faith on the field

Richard A. Sokerka

The battle to uphold our religious freedom in our nation as guaranteed by first amendment to the U. S. Constitution is being fought on many different fields — and now even on the football field.

Shanley High School — a private Catholic school in the St. John Paul II Catholic Schools Network in the Diocese of Fargo, N.D. — was prohibited from saying a prayer over its public address system before a playoff football game, even though it is a tradition at the school to pray before every game.

The flawed reason for this stoppage of prayer came from the North Dakota High School Activities Association that claimed that it is a “public entity” and that playoff games are “sponsored” by the association. Since the association is a government entity, it ruled allowing prayer over a loudspeaker before the playoff game is an endorsement of religion.

Not so fast, said the Thomas More Society, which sent a legal letter to the association on behalf of the high school. “The Supreme Court has clearly held that it is unconstitutional to require private entities to give up their religious identity in order to participate in government sponsored programs,” the letter stated.

“Shanley’s identity as a private actor, with a religious identity, gives it the right to engage in religious expression on its own property. A policy by the association forcing Shanley to give up that right in order to participate in a merit-based sports post-season requires the school to choose between participating in a government activity, which it has earned, and engaging in the speech rights that are protected by both the United States and North Dakota Constitutions.”

However, the association did not change its position and as a result, Shanley High School was forced to forfeit saying a prayer before its playoff game.

The school is now discussing next steps with their attorneys. “Students should be allowed to practice their faith publicly,” said Michael Smith, St. John Paul II Catholic Schools Network superintendent. “We are not trying to make a political statement. We are trying to do what is right.”

It is our hope that this Catholic school continues to fight for what is right and what is guaranteed by the First Amendment. Punting on this issue is not an option.