Progress through Understanding

Peter G. Martin

Tthe killing of george floyd on May 25, 2020, will be regarded for years to come as a seminal moment in American history that sparked a long-awaited reckoning on racial justice in the 21st century United States. As much as that moment and the recent killings of other unarmed African Americans have come to define the times in which we are living, racial injustice has been a part of the American landscape for hundreds of years. As U.S. society has made uneven progress toward racial equality, so too has our very human Catholic Church seen its share of prophetic visionaries as well as those who have undermined efforts to recognize the human dignity of all people. With this issue of C21 Resources, we explore the relationship of the Catholicism in America with questions of race. As Catholics, we have a rich history of social teaching to draw from as we contemplate these issues. Through the selections you find in this magazine, we hope to prompt introspection, spark conversation, and inspire social action. The frank views of some of the authors we have selected can be painful to hear and perhaps difficult for some readers to reconcile with their own life experiences. However, we feel strongly that the first steps toward progress are listening, dialogue, and greater understanding.

This is not the first time that Boston College or the Church in the 21st Century Center has broached these subjects. The U.S. Catholic Church also has made various efforts to address racism in society and the Church. But we would like this magazine to contribute to a new and sustained discussion about the ways in which Catholics and fellow citizens can be agents of healing and hope.

We have organized this issue along the following lines:

PERSPECTIVES This section offers some historical context for an examination of the Church and race. How did we get here as a Church and society? We hope that the contemporary and historical pieces we have selected will lead readers to investigate more deeply on their own the topics that are raised.

credit : Dave DeMelia/ The Enterprise

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Catholics of all ethnic and racial backgrounds have the opportunity and the obligation to act against the evil of racism.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, greets people after he celebrates the 50th anniversary Mass for the Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Massachusetts.

VOICES People from various backgrounds have responded to this moment in a number of ways. We have attempted to give voice to the introspection and emotions, including anger, that Catholics and others are feeling at this time. We have included statements by contemporary Church leaders condemning racism as well as selections from Church doctrine on the issue. One highlight is an edited version of Open Wide Our Hearts, the pastoral letter from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops condemning racism, written in 2018.

HOPES How can Catholics and our Church help create a more just society? People of goodwill may disagree on the best way forward, but as Christians, our end goal is clear: we must promote the human dignity of all people. We describe the new Forum on Racial Justice in America, one of Boston College’s initiatives to address issues of race and racism in the United States. Several other commentators offer their thoughts on what is needed now.

We cannot attempt in this short volume to offer a definitive examination of the Church and issues of race. Given the thrust of this moment in history, we have focused on anti-Black racism, touching only lightly on other groups such as Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans, which deserve careful consideration. However, we do hope that this magazine will continue and expand the discussion of racial justice and related issues among our readers and that this conversation will become a permanent fixture of our Church and community. Catholics of all ethnic and racial backgrounds have the opportunity and the obligation to act against the evil of racism. ■

Peter G. Martin is Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Church in the 21st Century Center and a member of the Steering Committee of Boston College’s Forum on Racial Justice in America. He is Special Assistant to the President at BC.