Bridging the Racial Divide for the Salvation of Souls

Within the last two years, a number of tragic events have occurred involving local communities’ police officers and resulting in the death of unarmed African-American men and women. These events have been widely reported often with video recordings of key moments of the incident. Many of the facts of the incidents are uncontroverted. Yet there has been a polarity in how these events are perceived and interpreted. That polarity is evidence of the overlay of different lenses based upon the differing experiences of the person or persons trying to make sense of these events. That polarity is also evidence of the level of structural and institutional racism that is automatic and built into the way that things work.

The Church, as herald of the Gospel, has proclaimed both Jesus’ love and His command to those who would be His disciples—“Love one another” (John 15:16). And the Church, through its teaching office has offered practical help to live out Jesus’ command.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church relies upon God’s revelation and reason to identify that which is graced and that which is sinful both in our individual lives and in our collective life as a society. The Church condemns racism as an intrinsic evil which can never be justified. Since the Church travels the same journey as all humankind, it is called “to be a leaven and, as it were, the soul of human society in its renewal by Christ and transformation into the family of God.

If the Church is to fulfill this role, she must help us clean the lenses that we use to view the world so that they can be free of the biases that cloud or color the reality we see. As Pope Francis has said many times, the methodology to be used is one of encounter and dialogue.

The Office of Ethnic Ministries invites deaneries and parishes to continue conversations on racism in order to affect positive change and promote racial harmony. For schedule a conversation please contact Ethnic Ministries at 614-221-7990, option 2, or email ethnicministries@columbuscatholic.org.


Resources:

Pope Francis' Message Regarding the Death of George Floyd 

Bishop Brennan's Statement on Death of George Floyd -- May, 29, 2020

“Responding to the Sin of Racism” – Information packet, which includes bulletin text, handouts, and memes, compiled by various offices of the US Conference of Catholic bishops (USCCB).

“The Racial Divide in the United States: A Reflection for the World Day of Peace 2015” – Most Reverend Edward K. Braxton, Ph.D., S.T.D., Bishop of Belleville (Illinois) shares his thoughts on racism in this pastoral letter and study guide.

“Racism: A Tarnished Reflection of Ourselves” – from Catholic News Services’ “Origins,” May 27, 1997; Pastoral Letter from Most Reverend James A. Griffin, Bishop of Columbus.

Click here to visit USCCB’s website for additional information and resources