JustCommunity Fall 2011: The Beloved Community Embraces Diversity

Resources for Reflection and Study

Stretching Beyond the Racial Divide...

What is the call within?

Catholic Social Teaching on Racism

Racism is a sin; a sin that 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. Racism is the sin that says some human beings are inherently superior and others essentially inferior because of races. It is the sin that makes racial characteristics the determining factor for the exercise of human rights. It mocks the words of Jesus: "Treat others the way you would have them treat you." Indeed, racism is more than a disregard for the words of Jesus; it is a denial of the truth of the dignity of each human being revealed by the mystery of the Incarnation.

Brothers and Sisters to Us All,1979, US Catholic Bishops

Ready to give some thought and reflection to this issue? Click on the links below for thought from a variety of thinkers: provoking, disturbing, engaging... see where they lead you in prayer!

And then ask yourself: Do these thoughts contain a call for my own transformation? A shift of perspective? A change of heart? A call to action? A call to community?

To share your thoughts, click here:Thoughts from the Beloved Community

Contemporary Voices on Contemporary Racism

Rev. Clarence Williams “Racial Sobriety: Answering the Prayer of Jesus”, in JustFaith Voices 

Jonthan Kozol This is America Video

James Cone Race, Religion and Violence Video

Bruce Western Social Fallout from America’s Prison Boom Video

Fr. Fred Kammer SJ of Loyola University, on Catholic Social Teaching and Racism 

Sean Williams In Defense of Rough Language, blogger for National Catholic Reporter

Fr. Tom Joyce  “Minorities on the way to becoming majorities” US Catholic blogger 

Our Faith Community Must Confront Racism Our Faith Community Must Confront Racism, National Catholic Reporter Editorial 

The Warmth of Other Suns book review from Journey with Jesus website 

Dan Clendinen Positively Maladjusted: Martin Luther King and “Transformed NonConformity”, from Journey with Jesus website 

Jim Wallis Jim Wallis: What? Racism Still in America?, from Huffington Post. 

Fr. Bryan Massingale Priest takes tough, loving look at church racism, from CHN Online 

Poverty and Racism: Overlapping Threats to the Common Good  Catholic Charities White Paper

Racism Still Divides the Catholic Family NCR Editorial 

Our Daily Thread  Blog entry: “Let’s have a conversation about racism in the Catholic Church” 

Grayson Warren Brown "Shaken up so we can pour ourselves out” 

USCCB Statements on Discrimination & Racism

Strangers No Longer: Togetheron the Journey of Hope, 2003

Popes & Vatican on Discrimination & Racism

Pontifical Council for Justice & Peace, "Discrimination,"Compendium of the Social Doctrine oftheChurch(2005), #148, 295, 298, 423, 536, 557

Pontifical Commission on Justice and Peace, "Contribution to World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolearance," (Durban, 31 August - 7 September 2001)

Pontifical Commission on Justice and Peace,"The Church and Racism," 1988.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1935. 2433.

Other Resources

Diana L. Hayes and Cyprian Davis, editors, Taking Down Our Harps: Black Catholics in the United States, (Orbis Books, 1998)

Theological Studies, 61 (2000) on "Black Catholic Theology"