| Confronting Racism Today
To the Clergy, Religious and Laity of the Church of Pittsburgh
The love and peace of God be with you.
We are all aware of incidents both national and local which
call attention to the continuing racial tensions in our society.
To address racism, it seems to me we need to recognize two
things: that it exists in a variety of forms, some more subtle
and others more obvious; and that there is something we can
do about it even if we realize that what we say and the steps
we take will not result in an immediate solution to a problem
that spans generations. We must, however, confront this issue
with the conviction that in some small way we can help to
resolve it.
These reflections are meant to be a word of encouragement
in our effort to work together against the evil of racism
that has long diminished our society, and continues to do
so, and as an opportunity to share a few examples of some
efforts of which we can all be a part.
Where do we start? Before we turn our attention to some forms
of action, we need to reaffirm that what we are doing is not
only necessary but good because it is willed by God.
The divisions we face today that are based on the color of
one's skin or ethnic background are obviously not a part of
God's plan. In the first chapter of the book of Genesis we
read at the beginning of the story of creation, "God
created man in his image, in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them" (Gen. 1.27).
This is the starting point for our reflection. The human
race is rooted in the loving, creative act of God who made
us and called us to be a family -- all God's children -- made
in God's image and likeness. There is no basis to sustain
that some are made more in the image of God than others.
In a clear and forceful passage from the Pastoral Constitution
on the Church in the Modern World, the Second Vatican Council
affirms:
All men are endowed with a rational soul and are created
in God's image; they have the same nature and origin and,
being redeemed by Christ, they enjoy the same divine calling
and destiny; there is here a basic equality between all men
and it must be given even greater recognition.
Undoubtedly not all men are alike as regards physical capacity
and intellectual and moral powers. But forms of social or
cultural discrimination in basic 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
(29).
In whatever form, intolerance of other people because of
their race, religion or national origin is ultimately a denial
of human dignity. No one is better than another person because
of the color of their skin or the place of their birth. What
makes us equal before God and what should make us equal before
each other is that we are all sisters and brothers of one
another, because we are all children of the same loving God
who brought us into being.
Racism denies the basic equality and dignity of all people
before God and one another. For this reason the United States
bishops in their November 1979 pastoral letter on racism,
Brothers and Sisters to Us, clearly state: "Racism is
a sin." It is a sin because "it 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." The
letter goes on to remind us that "Racism is the sin that
says some human beings are inherently superior and others
essentially inferior because of race."
We are called to recognize today that racism continues to
manifest itself in many ways. It can be personal, institutional,
or social. What should be a blessing-- the diversity of our
backgrounds, experiences and cultures -- becomes a hindrance
to unity and a heavy burden for some to bear. As we struggle
to remove the attitudes that nurture racism and the actions
that express it, we must show how the differences we find
in skin color, national origin or cultural diversity are enriching.
Differences mean diversity, not being better or worse. Equality
among all men and women does not mean that they must all look,
talk, think alike and act in an identical manner. Equality
does not mean uniformity. Rather each person should be seen
in his or her uniqueness as a reflection of the glory of God
and a full, complete member of the human family.
Among Christians the call to unity is greater because it
is rooted in grace and, therefore, racism merits even stronger
condemnation. Every one who is baptized into Christ Jesus
is called to new life in the Lord. Baptism unites us with
the Risen Lord and through him with every person who sacramentally
has died and risen to new life in Christ. This unity, sacramental
and real, brings us together on a level above and beyond the
purely physical. It carries that oneness we all share through
the natural reality of creation to a higher level -- the realm
of grace.
In Christ we live in the same Spirit, we share the same new
life and are members of one spiritual body. The members of
the Church are called to be witnesses to the unity of God's
family and, therefore, to be a living testimony to the inclusiveness
that is a graced sign of our oneness.
The call to a unity that transcends ethnic ties and racial
divisions is a hard one for some people to accept. Too often
we become comfortable in the enclave of our own familiar world
and view others who are different from us, ethnically or because
of the color of their skin, as a threat. Nonetheless, to be
truly faithful to Christ we must respond to his teaching that
we are one in him and, therefore, one with each other.
Intolerance and racism will not go away without a concerted
effort on everyone's part. Regularly we must renew the commitment
to drive it out of our hearts, our lives and our community.
While we may devise all types of politically correct statements
to proclaim racial equality, without a change in the basic
attitude of the human heart we will never move to that level
of oneness that accepts each other for who we are and the
likeness we share as images of God.
In the bishops' statement on racism, Brothers and Sisters
to Us, we read: "To the extent that racial bias affects
our personal attitudes and judgements, to the extent that
we allow another's race to influence our relationship and
limit our openness, to the extent that we see yet close our
hearts to our brothers and sisters in need -- to that extent
we are called to conversion and renewal in love and justice."
Ongoing conversion is an essential part of the Christian
vocation. We as a diocese have been involved in a conscious
effort at spiritual renewal and revitalization both personal
and institutional for a number of years. Our Holy Father in
his Apostolic Letter On the Coming of the Third Millennium
challenges us to place our daily efforts at ongoing conversion
in the wider perspective of preparation for the coming celebration
of the next millennium. This means that we not only recognize
our need to draw every day closer to Christ and become more
like him in our attitudes, but that we do this systematically
and even programmatically over a period of time. Our diocesanwide
effort at spiritual renewal also provides us a way to address
racism.
In a personal way conversion means examining our attitudes
and actions. This includes expressly rejecting racial stereotypes,
slurs and jokes. We can also be an influence on co-workers,
friends and family members by speaking out on the injustice
of racism. Part of personal spiritual development includes
a self-conscientious sensitivity to what we say and think.
In a positive manner we can interact with one another in a
way which reflects the teaching of Jesus: "Treat others
the way you would have them treat you" (Matt. 7.12).
In an article entitled "Racism and Respect for Others,"
I reflected in the Pittsburgh Catholic on the "pro-active"
stance that we must all adopt if we hope to overcome gradually
but decisively the evil that is racism. "The Church must
show its opposition to intolerance, whether religious, ethnic
or racial, in her teaching and example. The inherent human
dignity of every person is a theme that should be increasingly
woven into the fabric of the Church's daily proclamation of
the gospel. In our schools, religious education programs,
adult education efforts and every opportunity available to
us, we must continue to weave that thread into the fabric
of the life of the Church. We must educate people with God's
truth and motivate them with God's love."
Responding to Christ's love calls us to action. We need to
move to the level of Christian solidarity. This term often
spoken of by our Holy Father as a virtue touches the practical
implications of what it means to recognize our unity with
others. There is a sense in which solidarity is our commitment
to oneness at work in the practical order.
In attempting to focus attention on racism and how we confront
it, there have been a number of recent local initiatives.
Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania, an ecumenical
organization involving twenty-two Christian faith communities
in nine counties of southwest Pennsylvania, has encouraged
efforts to confront racism among its member churches. The
purpose of this initiative is to renew the Church's commitment
to address racism, to heighten awareness that it continues
to be a problem, and to take practical steps to address it.
In conjunction with Carlow College, the Ecumenical Institute
on Racism has been established to prepare people to confront
racism at every level of our society.
Within the diocese we have made the fight against racism
a priority in our programs for this year and have responded
with a new series of convenings to address institutional and
individual racism. These diocesan gatherings are conducted
under the direction of Ms. Margretta Stokes Tucker, director
of the diocesan Office for Black Catholic Ministries, and
Mr. John Hannigan, director of the Department of Social Programs.
Priests, religious and laity are being asked to examine their
own life situations, their ministries, parishes, and the institutions
they direct in order to confront any vestige of racism.
The Sunday Eucharist offers a wealth of opportunities to
reflect on this issue. The prayers of the faithful can promote
social justice and urge the elimination of racism. Homilies
can deal with the implications of the Christian faith for
prejudice and racist behavior. Parish efforts at evangelization
ought to reach out to people of every race, culture and nationality.
We need to be alert to and articulate in addressing racism
wherever we meet it. In housing, citizens need to insist that
the government enforce fair housing statues. In the workplace,
recruitment, hiring, and promotion policies need to reflect
true opportunity. In public education, we can support the
teaching of tolerance and appreciation for each culture. In
the public debate on the illnesses of our age, we ought also
to insist on the place of religious faith. Without God and
the sense of right and wrong that religious convictions engender,
we will never adequately confront racism.
Pentecost is the celebration of the outpouring of the Spirit
that transformed timid disciples into bold witnesses to the
truth. This celebration of the Holy Spirit also reminds us
of the power of God's grace in us to transcend national, ethnic
and racial barriers. The people who heard the gospel message
were gathered from disparate lands and were astonished "about
the marvels God has accomplished" (Acts 2.11). Peter's
proclamation that day was one of conversion and hope as he
called upon those who heard him to step aside from their sins
and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Surely we can
do no better this Pentecost season than to open our hearts
to the grace of God's Spirit to help us remove any traces
of racism and allow the love of God to work in each of us
in a way that manifests our new life together in Christ
The elimination of racism may seem too great a task for any
one of us or even for the whole Church. Yet we place our confidence
in the Lord. In Christ, we are brothers and sisters to one
another. With Christ, we have received the Spirit of justice,
love and peace. Through Christ, we are called to envision
the new city of God, not built by human hands, but by the
love of God poured out in the Savior. On the journey to that
"new heaven and new earth," we make our way with
faith in God's grace, with hope in our own determination,
and above all with love for each other as children of God.
Faithfully in Christ,
Donald W. Wuerl
Bishop of Pittsburgh
May 26, 1996
Solemnity of the Feast of Pentecost
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