We love because he first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters , are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. (1 John 4:19-20)
Crude and blatant expression of racist sentiment, though they occasionally exist, are today considered bad form. Yet racism itself persists in convert ways. Under the guise of other motives, it is manifest in the tendency to stereotype and marginalize whole segments of the population whose presence perceived as a threat. It is manifest also in the indifference that replaces open hatred.
Many times the new face of racism is the computer print-out, the graph of profits and losses, the pink slip, the nameless statistic. Today's racism flourishes in the triumph of private concern over public responsibility, individual success over social commitment, and personal fulfillment over authentic compassion. (Brothers and Sisters to Us, U.S. Bishops, 1979)
In light of the many protests going on around the country, I’ve included some information about what the Catholic Church teaches about racism at the end of this bulletin.
I hope paper-writing and test-studying goes well for all of you. Remember to breathe, to pray, and to enjoy this Advent season! ~ Karen
FAQ… What does the Church have to say about Racism?
When talking about something like racism, it is important to understand the distinction between sins of omission and commission (what I neglect to do, versus things I’ve done) and between personal sin and social sin (sinful things I’ve done myself, versus unjust social structures in which I participate, either actively or passively). Most of us, I would hope, don’t commit active racist acts or make blatant racist comments. Yet we are often complicit in racist social structures that deny others their full dignity, simply by failing to stand against them.
Here are some quotations by the US Catholic bishops and by the Magisterium on this topic. Also attached is a one-page article on Racism and Catholic Social Teaching, which you can also find at this link: http://www.loyno.edu/jsri/catholic-social-teaching-cst-and-racism.
You can find the bishops’ letter, Brothers and Sisters to Us here: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/african-american/brothers-and-sisters-to-us.cfm
The equality of men [and women] rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it: Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1935]
Racism is a sin; a sin that divides the human family, blots out the image of God among specific members of that family, and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father. Racism is the sin that says some human beings are inherently superior and others essentially inferior because of races. It is the sin that makes racial characteristics the determining factor for the exercise of human rights. It mocks the words of Jesus: "Treat others the way you would have them treat you." Indeed, racism is more than a disregard for the words of Jesus; it is a denial of the truth of the dignity of each human being revealed by the mystery of the Incarnation. [Brothers and Sisters to Us, U.S. Bishops, 1979]
The structures of our society are subtly racist, for these structures reflect the values which society upholds. They are geared to the success of the majority and the failure of the minority. Members of both groups give unwitting approval by accepting things as they are. Perhaps no single individual is to blame. The sinfulness is often anonymous but nonetheless real. The sin is social in nature in that each of us, in varying degrees, is responsible. All of us in some measure are accomplices. As our recent pastoral letter on moral values states: "The absence of personal fault for an evil does not absolve one of all responsibility. We must seek to resist and undo injustices we have not ceased, least we become bystanders who tacitly endorse evil and so share in guilt in it." [Brothers and Sisters to Us, U.S. Bishops, 1979]
Let the Church proclaim to all that the sin of racism defiles the image of God and degrades the sacred dignity of humankind which has been revealed by the mystery of the Incarnation. Let all know that it is a terrible sin that mocks the cross of Christ and ridicules the Incarnation. For the brother and sister of our Brother Jesus Christ are brother and sister to us. [Brothers and Sisters to Us, U.S. Bishops, 1979]
The difficulties of these new times demand a new vision and a renewed courage to transform our society and achieve justice for all. We must fight for the dual goals of racial and economic justice with determination and creativity. There must be no turning back along the road of justice, not sighing for bygone times of privilege, no nostalgia for simple solutions from another age. For we are the children of the age to come, when the first shall be last and the last shall be first, when blessed are they who serve Christ the Lord in all His brothers and sisters, especially those who are poor and suffer injustice. [Brothers and Sisters to Us, U.S. Bishops, 1979]
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Karen Soos
Associate Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister
Davidson College
Campus Box 7196
Davidson NC 28035
704. 894. 2423
Associate Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister
Davidson College
Campus Box 7196
Davidson NC 28035
704. 894. 2423
