CHARLOTTE — The Church must confront the sin of racism, listen to people who have been oppressed, and seek reconciliation in part by promoting people of color into leadership roles, said the bishop who is in charge of addressing the topic for the Church in the United States.
Bishop George Murry of Youngstown, Ohio, who chairs the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, spoke about racism in the Church’s history and how the committee is addressing it during a Jan. 27 talk at St. Peter Church in Charlotte.
About 350 people attended the 2018 Kennedy Lecture, including members of Our Lady of Consolation Church. The majority black parish near downtown Charlotte has fostered an ongoing dialogue on race with members of St. Peter Church, a majority white parish less than three miles away, in the wake of a fatal police shooting that sparked violent protests in the city in 2016, leaving one Consolation parishioner dead.
Pictured: Bishop George Murry of Youngstown, Ohio, who chairs the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, spoke about racism in the Church’s history and how his committee is addressing it during a Jan. 27 talk at St. Peter Church in Charlotte — at 167 years old, the oldest Catholic church in the city. Behind him is a bas-relief depicting St. Katherine Drexel, who gave money to the parish to buy pews, with the caveat that worshipers not be segregated. (Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald)
Bishop Murry, a Jesuit whose background is in education, summarized Church teaching on racism and inequality, noting that the Church’s teaching on the fundamental dignity of all people has not always been reflected in its actions – especially in the United States, where racism is “deeply rooted.”
Bishop Murry criticized the Church’s lethargic response to racism in America even after the U.S. bishops issued a 1979 pastoral letter on racism, “Brothers and Sisters to Us.”
“When considering the history of racism in the Catholic Church, one cannot help but wonder why, in the United States, there was so little social consciousness among Catholics regarding racism,” he said. “Why does it appear the Church in America is incapable of taking decisive action and incapable of enunciating clear-cut principles regarding racism that have led to a change of attitude?”
“Racism is a sin that divides the human family and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father,” Bishop Murry said, and the Church must become “a consistent voice” to eradicate it.
“In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul tells us Jesus is our peace. It is by means of His shed blood and broken body that the dividing walls of enmity have been demolished,” the bishop said, referring to Ephesians 2:14. “Today the Catholic Church in America must recognize that Christ wishes to break down the walls created by the evils of racism, whether that evil is displayed publicly for all to see or buried deep in the recesses of our hearts. If not, we are destined for history to continue to repeat itself, and once again the Church will be perceived as a silent observer in the face of racism.”
The U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, formed last August, aims to address the problem of racism in the Church and the wider community, “and the urgent need for the nation to come together to find solutions,” he said.
He said the committee is working to bring together people of various races, faiths, cultures and backgrounds – and then listening to them.
On Feb. 23, a national summit of religious leaders and others is being convened, he announced. This “ecumenical gathering” will discuss the sin of racism and find ways to build bridges, he said.
Not just Catholics, but all people of good will must work together to improve race relations, he said, because as a general rule Christian leaders “have not been consistent in getting across to our people that every human being is created in the image and likeness of God.”
“Through listening, prayer and meaningful collaboration, I am hopeful that we can find those lasting solutions that we so much need, and to find common ground, where racism will no longer find a place in our hearts or in our society.”
The Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism is also organizing a series of “listening sessions” across the country, Bishop Murry said.
Intended to be a “national conversation on race,” these sessions will take place in parishes, schools, seminaries, Catholic Charities organizations, Catholic health associations and social service agencies – “in every Catholic organization throughout the country,” he said.
“The goal will be to allow people to listen to each other, to exchange ideas, to become educated and change hearts,” he said, in part by listening closely to people who have experienced prejudice firsthand: African Americans, Latinos, immigrants, Jews and others.
The committee expects to issue a pastoral letter on racism this summer, Bishop Murry said, but that is not its primary focus. Instead, the committee will issue a study guide designed “to encourage people to come together and to overcome their hesitations and their fears, and to talk frankly with each other.”
“There are some people in our country who are not going to want to have anything to do with any discussion about race because they think that they’re OK, it doesn’t affect them, ‘leave me alone,’” he said. “There are other people who are curious and wondering. They’re simply honest people who are saying, ‘I don’t want to oppress anybody. I don’t want to discriminate against anybody. How can I learn how best to be sensitive to other people?’”
The study guide is meant to help people have earnest conversations with each other, he said.
Besides listening and learning, Bishop Murry said, the Church must “break her silence.”
“In imitation of Christ, we the Church must be willing to give our total lives over to the liberation of women and men by defending the dignity and fundamental rights of every human person – and this includes a visible denouncement of racism,” he said.
But beyond statements, he continued, “the Church must seek the forgiveness of those that she has victimized by her past injustices.”
Reconciliation can be fostered by finding ways to include people of color in decision-making and leadership roles within the Church, he said.
The Church must also confront racism wherever it occurs, he said.
The Church must “speak and live in truth,” he said, “leaving behind the comfortable attitudes of superiority and fear. To get to that truth, we must break the silent complicity with the social evil of racism.”
“If race in the Catholic imagination is to exemplify the love of Christ, it must move forward with the realization that no one – no one – can enter into full communion with the Lord if his or her relationship is marked by indifference or oppression of others,” he said.
Some people may not feel comfortable talking about racism or “white privilege,” he said, but the Church should not shirk from teaching the truth.
“We have to be realistic in facing the evil of racism. It is deeply rooted in our consciousness, in our history and in our culture. It is not going away overnight,” he said. “What we have to do is chip away at it, with concrete examples of how white privilege factors into our daily lives and how it affects people who are not white.”
“The grace of God is the only thing that can lead us to stand up to the evil one and say, ‘I want to open my eyes and see the truth.’ Some people will be able to do that, some people will not,” Bishop Murry said.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor
More online
At www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/racism: Get resources about Church teaching on racism, read the 1979 pastoral letter “Brothers and Sisters to Us,” download prayers and liturgy guides, and more
BALTIMORE — As Pope Francis asks us to “Share the Journey” with migrants and refugees aground the world, Catholic Relief Services’ Rice Bowl offers Catholics in the United States a way to encounter Lent, to encounter the causes of migration and displacement, and to learn about the challenges faced by families around the world in their dioceses, parishes and homes.
CRS Rice Bowl, the agency’s flagship Lenten program now in its fifth decade, will begin once again on Ash Wednesday – Feb. 14 – giving Catholics throughout the country an opportunity to encounter the stories of people in need around the world.
“From CRS’ work in more than 100 countries, we know that people do not want to leave their homes, that they do so because they feel they have no other choice,” said Joan Rosenhauer, executive vice president of Church Engagement. “Lenten sacrifices contributed through CRS Rice Bowl help give them that choice by providing sustenance and livelihoods in communities around the world.”
Started as an ecumenical effort in the Diocese of Allentown, Pa., in 1975, CRS Rice Bowl soon spread across the country as it called on Catholics to perform a simple act of Lenten sacrifice: substitute a low-cost meatless meal for more expensive dining once a week during Lent and put the money saved in a cardboard rice bowl.
That concept remains at the heart of the program even as it has expanded to include broader Lenten faith enrichment through a wide variety of resources available for the millions of Catholics who participate. These include prayer resources, a daily Lenten calendar, weekly stories of hope that introduce families from around the world and recipes from various countries for meatless meals that can be enjoyed on Fridays during Lent.
Funds collected in the rice bowls, which are turned in at the end of Lent, are distributed both around the world and in local communities to combat hunger – 75 percent of every donation goes to CRS programming in targeted countries worldwide while 25 percent remains in the local diocese from which the donation came, supporting initiatives that help alleviate poverty.
But the goal is to go beyond collecting money and spur discussions – both in churches and around family dinner tables – about the meaning of Lent and the daily reality that people living in poverty face.
“We see CRS Rice Bowl as much more than a fund-raising opportunity,” said Rosenhauer. “It is an opportunity for Catholics in America to encounter what Lent means, what poverty means, what resilience means, what hope means.
“We want families to participate together so they can experience the joyous feeling of solidarity that comes from generosity and sacrifice. We know from years of experience that CRS Rice Bowl can be life-changing.”
As part of CRS Rice Bowl, speakers from around the world will travel throughout the United States telling their stories of how CRS Rice Bowl-supported programs are changing lives. For Thomas Awiapo, a feeding program in his village in Ghana funded by CRS Rice Bowl brought him as a hungry young orphan to school for food. He stayed for an education, eventually a master’s degree in the United States, returning to Ghana for a career with CRS there. Cassandra Bassainthe, who left Haiti as a young child, will talk about why she returned to her home country to help the poor and vulnerable. Micter Chaola of Malawi and Jacques Kabore of Burkina Faso will share their experiences working in agriculture in their respective countries.
“CRS Rice Bowl does far more than feed people,” said Rosenhauer. “It also helps develop agriculture so that families and communities can support themselves. As we heed the request of Pope Francis and ‘Share the Journey,’ we know that the best way you can help a migrant is to make sure that she doesn’t have to leave home in the first place. That’s what CRS Rice Bowl can help accomplish.”
Resources available online
Catholic Relief Services has a lot of resources for you and your family this Lenten season. Besides the traditional CRS Rice Bowl kit that you can download online, there is a free mobile app, daily Lenten reflections, “Stories of Hope” from people who have been aided by CRS, a video series exploring the meaning of Lent, and meatless recipes from the countries featured each Lent. All materials are available in English and Spanish.
How to give
If your parish or school participates in the CRS Rice Bowl campaign, giving guidelines are provided. You can also give directly to CRS Rice Bowl securely online at www.crsricebowl.org; by phone at 1-877-435-7277; or mail to CRS Rice Bowl, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21297-0303.
Some recipes
Haitian Vegetable Stew
Seasoning:
4 scallions, chopped
6 sprigs parsley
4 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. salt
Vegetable Stew:
1 tbsp. fair trade olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 chayote squash, peeled and chopped (If you can’t find chayote squash, replace with equal amounts of any summer squash, such as zucchini.)
1 small eggplant, peeled and chopped
3 cups cabbage, chopped
1 15-oz. can of coconut milk
4 cups water or vegetable broth (or more, as needed)
1 large tomato, chopped
Salt to taste
For the seasoning, mix first 6 ingredients in a food processor and set aside. Sauté onions, carrots, squash, eggplant and cabbage in oil in large pan for 3 to 4 minutes. Add coconut milk and 3 cups broth.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, or until soft. Add tomatoes and continue to simmer. Add more broth if the mixture appears too dry. Add seasoning to simmering vegetables and cook one minute. Mash vegetables with a large fork. Season with salt, to taste. Makes 6 servings.
Editor’s note: Find more meatless recipes and the stories behind their cultures online at www.crsricebowl.org.