November 12, 2017 - "The Challenge of Racism Today"

On November 1, 2017, priests of the Archdiocese of Washington received an email from Bishop Knestout announcing that Cardinal Wuerl was releasing a Pastoral Letter entitled, “The Challenge of Racism Today.”  Cardinal Wuerl’s letter is not intended to serve as the final word but as a call to rededicating the efforts of each one of us in addressing racism in our midst and bringing reconciliation and healing to our communities.  Members of the Catholic Standard staff recently interviewed Cardinal Wuerl about the pastoral letter.  I want to present some of the questions and his answers to those questions in the remainder of this column.
 
Catholic Standard:  “Why did you decide to write your new pastoral letter, “The Challenge of Racism Today,” at this time?”
Cardinal Wuerl: “Recent events around the nation have highlighted that unfortunately racism continues to be present sometimes in very violent manifestations. We always need to be able to read the signs of the times to see what particular elements of the Gospel message needs to be highlighted. It strikes me that the challenge of racism is one such social issue that we need to confront today.
 
Catholic Standard:  “What do you think is the most important contribution that the Catholic Church can make to the national conversation going on right now about racism?”
Cardinal Wuerl: “The Church’s contribution is always spiritual and moral.  What the Church is lifting up for everyone to hear is that we are all created members of the same human family.  We are therefore all brothers and sisters of the same loving God.  Anything that denies that vision of human dignity, of humans made in the image and likeness of God, is serious moral matter.  The Church calls this a sin—the sin of racism.  Our voice must always be the conscience of the nation.”
 
Catholic Standard:  “How important is it for the Catholic Church, and our society as a whole, to acknowledge the sin of racism, and the historic and ongoing effect it has had on our country and its people?”
Cardinal Wuerl: “The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has put together an ad hoc committee to confront racism.  I think that is in itself a sign of how important it is that the Church raise her collective voice in addressing this evil.  At the same time, we are all called individually to speak out forcefully and convincingly against any effort to relegate any group of people to the margins as if they do not count or have the same value as anyone else.
“Historically, given the tragedy of slavery, there is an enduring aspect of our societal life that requires specific and ongoing attention to completely overcome and eradicate racism.  This serious evil will only be blotted out if we continually are aware of its manifestations.”
 
Catholic Standard:  “What Impact do you hope your pastoral letter on racism will have?”
Cardinal Wuerl: “A bishop’s responsibility, among others, is to teach.  I hope my pastoral letter will be received by the faithful, and other people of good will, as an effort to present in a meaningful and helpful way, the Church’s teaching on the dignity and equality of all people made in the image and likeness of God and that we will continually work together to recognize that truth in practical, real terms”
 
Catholic Standard:  “As the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Washington what practical ways would you recommend that our parishes, schools, Catholic agencies, and individual themselves, could combat racism?”
Cardinal Wuerl: “The pastoral letter has two sections to it, one on the Church’s teaching, her doctrine on the evil of racism, and the other on practical steps that we can take throughout this archdiocese, also in a programmatic way, to confront the evil of racism and to accept the challenge to help overcome it in our culture.  I would recommend that all of those practical pastoral suggestions be implemented whenever and wherever possible.”
 
Copies of the pastoral letter are available in the most recent issue of the Catholic Standard.  For those who would prefer to read it online, here is the link for that:  http://adw.org/november-2017-pastoral-letter/.  If anyone would like me to mail them a copy of the pastoral letter, please phone the parish office and leave your contact information with the request for a copy of Cardinal Wuerl’s pastoral letter on racism.
 
Until next week,
Fr. John Dillon