By Bishop Andrew G. Grutka
It is essential that the barriers that are causing racial misunderstanding be broken down. Those of us that are Caucasian Americans can ask our Afro-American aquaintenances how it feels to be denies services of all kinds. We can inquire how restrictions in employment affect their families and particularly the incentive for further education of their children. We can learn the anguish they feel because of their inability to secure decent housing in more attractive neighborhoods. We can get to know about their frustrations and aspirations.
Those of us who are Afro-Americans might ask our White associates to describe their apprehensions and reservations. All the pitfalls of misunderstanding should be openly faced not for the sake of debate but with the idea of building solid bridges of mutual understanding. Only the open and free exchange of opinions can bring about the proper realization of the rights and responsibilities that bind all sides.
Possible demonstrations which are a part of our American heritage are being use to attract attention to their claims. As long as they serve a useful purpose under the guidance of responsible leadership they deserve our sympathetic attention and cooperation. Violence in any form is to be deplored. It only fans the flames or angry passions and stretches tension to the breaking point.
Let us examine our conscience. God never makes a mistake.
Every human being created by him is here for a perfect reason. Comprehension of
this truth will cause every individual to look at another with respect no matter
what his condition. Where difference exist that seem to defy explanation,
personal adjustment and resignation to the will of God is the only approach to a
solution. On maters of racial injustice consciences should be examined
frequently, attitudes aired and purified, emotions controlled and the mind kept
open. Prejudice is a form of pride and like pride is seldom ever recognized by
the possessor. The proud and the prejudiced man looks down on his fellow man
and as long as he does is prevented from looking up to the God of mercy and
compassion. The Father of us all.
Racial Justice and Charity
By Bishop Andrew G. Grutka, D.D.
FOREWORD
The infinite wisdom and creative genius of Almighty God reveals itself delightfully in the countless varieties with which it surrounds us, all combining to form one majestic and magnificent mosaic – the World. Mosaics are made of many small stones of various colors and sizes which arranged artistically and skillfully form a pleasing picture. Even a momentary consideration of the variety easily seen in the different kinds of flowers, birds, animals, insects, and even in the stars and planets prompts us to exclaim with St. Paul: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God.” (Rom. 11, 33)
The most precious pieces in the diving mosaic of the world are human beings. Although each differs from the other in color, shape, size and brilliance, together they give tone, quality and character to the mosaic. Because God is a flawless Artisan, each piece fits perfectly and contributes faultlessly to the harmonious unity of the divine masterpiece.
Hateful spite can make ever the most beautiful mosaic an object of brutal defacement. Of the many attempts at disfigurement which persistently plague the divine mosaic of mankind, none are more annoying and none more in need of prevention than those stemming from racial tension. These tensions exist in all parts of the world, in many cities of our own country, and right here around us. It is to the elimination of racial injustice that this letter is addressed. The purpose of this pastoral message is to focus attention as sharply as possible on the divine mosaic with the hope that the blotches and scars on it will be recognized for what they really are – heinous crimes against God and man. The intellectual conviction that racial segregation and discrimination are not Christian – is sterile without the total commitment of our souls and hearts to this fact.
The inbred social evils of generations will require strong and sometimes drastic action to dispel them. When a disease afflicts parts of a body and threatens the life of the person, drastic measures are often necessary to eradicate it. Prejudice, segregation and discrimination are symptoms of a malignancy that threaten the spiritual and material welfare of the whole human race. As in the case of malignancies, complete eradication is the only possible remedy.
Persistent racial injustice has so sensitized the feelings and emotions of those affected that they no longer can endure the pain and anguish of constant frustration. In a determined effort, Negroes are pooling their resources, uniting their energies, enduring hardships and making sacrifices for the complete suppression of racial injustice and free exercise of their human rights and dignities. Right thinking persons and practicing Christians should lend them a hand in this determined effort. Furthermore the knowledge that growth in personal perfection is not possible while the blemish of racial injustice stains the conscience should stimulate genuine concern and effective cooperation.
This message offers no simple or easy solution for the elimination of prejudice, discrimination or segregation. It means to depict the repeated defacing, disfiguring and distorting of the divine mosaic of mankind as malevolent acts of vandalism. It proposes a search of the soul – piercing enough to recognize the devilishness of the evil and contrite enough to bring about a real change in attitude. It hopes to shine the light of divine truth as found in the Gospels brightly enough to dispel the blinding darkness of prejudice and reveal the joy and goodness of living in fraternal unity.
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Part 1
THE CHRISTIAN TEACHING ON RACE
“By this will all men know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” (John 13, 35). The true meaning of “Christian” has never been more clearly state. “A New Commandment I give you that you love one another.” (John 13, 34). No words in the New Testament are more explicit, more exacting. For the Christian it is not enough to know the teachings of Christ. He must comprehend them, proclaim them and apply them to his daily living.
Racial injustice calls attention to words such as prejudice, discrimination and segregation, and places them frequently on our lips. The ugly and brutal significance of these terms is not thoroughly understood. In this letter prejudice is considered an attitude of mind and heart, whether conscious or unconscious, in which an adverse judgment about a person or group or persons is made because of preconceived notions, regardless of fact. People often judge individuals on the real or supposed characteristics of a group, and just as often judge a whole group by one individual. Discrimination and segregation can be considered as the practice of such prejudice.
Christian tradition reveals fundamental beliefs about man which eliminate any rations basis for racial prejudice, discrimination or segregation. As the simile of the mosaic indicates there are differences among people but each person is essential for the perfect picture.
The Common Origin and Destiny of Man
In the story of creation the Holy bible teaches the basic unity and equal dignity of all men. (Gn. 1-2). People in the depths of political and social oppression have always taken heart in the truth that all men have been created in the image of God (Gn. 1.26) and have the same human parents in Adam and Eve. It is in this sense that we have been created equal and have been endowed with certain inalienable rights. The ultimate tragedy of every form of racism is it stubborn, obstinate refusal to take God’s Word seriously, that members of other races are equally God’s image and equally our brothers. The prophets of the Old Testament insisted further that the Lord God is ruler of all peoples, even those outside the special providence of Israel, and that He is leading all in hidden, mysterious ways to a common destiny. Thus the Old Testament, with its account of a common creation of man and his fall, its hope of one redemption, sees a meaning in the movement of human history that makes equals of us all.
Christ, the Universal Means of Salvation
In God’s own good time, He spoke in various ways and at various times by the prophets. In the final age of our history God spoke to us by His own Son (Hebr. 1, 1-2). Here speck was accompanied with action, for the Son had come to give His life as a ransom for all. (Mt. 20, 28; Mk. 14, 24)
St Paul who summed up in himself the wisdom of the Old Law and the vision of the New, recapitulated the teachings of faith on the unity of the human race: its unity in one Father, one destiny, and one way to the Father, Jesus Christ. “God, Our Savior . . . wishes all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one god and one Mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus, Himself Man, Who gave Himself a ransom for all…” (1Tim. 2, 4-6). In speaking specifically to Christians Paul becomes ever clearer:” You are, in fact, all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, since all of you who have come to Christ by baptism have clothed yourselves with Christ. No longer is there Jew or Greek; no longer is there slave or freeman; no longer is there male or female. You are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3, 16)
The Communal Nature of Salvation in Christ
What Paul would have us realize, is that the salvation of an individual is worked out in a social world. His pilgrimage back to God is as one of the people of God. The awareness that we are God’s people appears to be increasing. As we grow in this understanding we find that to become “brothers in Christ,” members of Him, compels us to rise above distinctions of race and readily accept cultural and other accidental differences in human beings. The feeling of the solidarity of the human family will grow as this truth is grasped. Our bond of unity will be the Providence of God and not culture, color, race or any other factor.
Pope Pius XII provides a strong summary of this teaching of faith on the unity of the human race. “It is a marvelous vision which makes one contemplate the unity of the human race in the unity of its origin in God, ‘One God the Father of us all who is above all and Who is in all things and in each of us’ (Eph. 4, 6); in the unity of its nature equally composed in all of us a material body and a spiritual, immortal soul; in the unity of its immediate end and of its mission in the world; in the unity of its dwelling place, the earth, whose goods all men by right of nature can use to sustain and develop life; in the unity of its supernatural end which is God Himself to Whom we must all tend and in the unity of the common means to attain this end.” (Summi Pontificatus, October 20, 1939)
The Practice of Interracial Justice and Charity
In the practical application of Christian teaching familiarity with the virtues of justice and of charity is essential. It is clear, or should be, that prejudice, discrimination and segregation based on a race alone violate man’s obligation to his neighbor and make a mockery of the virtues of justice and charity. Pope John XXIII’s words are very appropriated in this regard: “Very often, experience has taught us, individuals will be found to differ considerably in knowledge, virtue, talent and wealth. Yet these inequalities must never be held to excuse any man’s attempt to lord it over his neighbors unjustly. They constitute rather a source of greater responsibility in the contribution which each and everyone must make towards mutual improvement…it is not true that some human beings are by nature superior and others inferior. All men are equal in their natural dignity…nor must it be forgotten, in this connection, that peoples can be highly sensitive, and with good reason, in matters touching their dignity and honor.” (Encyclical – Peace on Earth)
In justice every individual has the right to the full development of his personality. Denial of opportunities for worship without embarrassing obstructions, the denial of the right to education and religious and cultural development, of the right to earn a decent living, of the right to free association, degrade a man’s dignity as a human being. The Bishops of the United States, speaking on this question in 1958, made this official comment:
“…all men are equal in the sight of God…Men are unequal in talent and achievement. They differ in culture and personal characteristics. Some are saintly, some seem to be evil, most are men of good will, though beset with human frailty. On the basis of personal differences we may distinguish among our fellow men. But discrimination based on the accidental fact of race or color, and as such injurious to human rights regardless of personal qualities or achievements, cannot be reconciled with the truth that God has created all men with equal rights an equal dignity.”
Racial prejudice, discrimination and segregation oppose the virtue of charity because they imply an exclusion from the common bond of love. Hatred, contempt, disdain or even studied indifference are contrary to the fundamental law of Christian love. “How then, can the love of God abide in him who seeing his brother in need, closes his heart to Him? Little children, let us not love merely in word or with the tongue, but in action, in reality.” (1John 3, 1 7-18)
Part II
AREAS OF CONCERN
Human society is the arena within which the prize of personal salvation is to be won. The social conditions fostered or tolerated by us aid or hinder our own salvation as well as that of those who live with us under them. “I tell you the plain truth inasmuch as you did this to one of these least brethren of mine, you did it to me.” (Matt. 25, 40) Living in peace with our fellow men is not a matter of choice but a divine command. In living with our fellow men mistakes will be made, some honest, some deceitful. They will be disturbing but the must be finally forgiven and forgotten. The forgiveness of our own faults against others is absolutely contingent on our willingness to forgive others their transgressions against us; and not the slightest hint of any other way is to be found in sacred Scriptures.
The record of oppression due to racial prejudice is shamefully long. Its blot smears the pages of history. Each wave of immigrants to our country experienced the sting of prejudice. They were poor, unskilled, uneducated and unable to communicate. Many were forced because of social and economic necessity to segregate themselves. Their efforts to improve their status were often met with scorn and contempt. Gradually the ‘foreigners’ gained acceptance. This acceptance came about not so much by a change of attitude based on Christian justice and charity but more by natural assimilation. Second and third generations could not readily be recognized as a distinct ethnic group.
The Negro is faced with similar challenges in housing, employment, education and political denomination. For him, however, the challenge is intensified and perpetuated by the high visibility of his darker skin. Regardless of his personal qualifications, he is seldom, if ever, acceptable without any reservation in the dominant whiter society. He is not free to live where he chooses in accordance with his economic status. He is often thwarted in his employment and educational aspirations. He is politically restricted, religiously frustrated, socially ostracized and individually demoralized. So consistent has this pattern of discrimination against him been that today the United States as a nation is being accused of hypocrisy and Religion of failure in view of the glaring discrepancies between principle and practice.
Particular Issues
Prejudice, segregation and discrimination defile every thing they touch but their effects on housing, employment, education, religion and associations especially deplorable.
HOUSING
The evidences of segregation in housing are strikingly acute. So is the evidence that this is deliberate. This containment implies that one race is not fit to live with another. This is immoral. Some of our cities and all of our suburban areas are virtually devoid of Negro homes. This condition is far from a matter of choice on the part of the Negro. Christian Doctrine and Democratic Principles affirm the rights of all persons to live where they choose and in homes which their economic position can afford.
Segregated housing inevitably leads to overcrowded housing. This in turn gives rise to slum conditions and the consequent problems of physical, social and spiritual deterioration. It is cruel to advertise the benefits of good housing and then tolerate slums in which culture and the practice of virtue are practically impossible. At the root of discrimination in housing lies the ugliness of personal prejudice against darker skinned people constantly generating feverish suspicious, hatred, distrust and unwillingness to behave as a neighbor. Realtors, property owners and prospective buyers and sellers who resort to unwritten restrictive covenants and rely on the feebleness of law enforcement against discriminatory selling are guilty of perpetuating segregation.
While legislation in itself cannot directly destroy prejudice, its influence is important in the combating of discrimination. Good legislation can become a potent educational force, giving support to the timid and prodding the conscience of the indifferent. Legislators and government officials are obliged to conscientiously strive for laws aimed at preventing or eliminating racial discrimination in housing. The votes of citizens should approve and accept these laws with the firm resolve to abide by them.
It was the enchanting welcome of the wide open spaces and the unrestricted plentitude of homesites in American which beckoned freedom-loving people from all parts of the world. They in turn helped make American the greatest nation on earth, inviting welcome of good housing – sincerely open – can banish the irritating barriers of discrimination. As a consequence the climate of social relations would be vastly improved. The type of human progress which upholds virtue as man’s basic right in which all his other human rights are implied would be furthered. Good housing unhampered by prejudice will facilitate the practice of virtue and pave the way to living in peace and joy.
ECONOMIC ASPECT
Closely aligned with the housing problem is the inequality of economic opportunity. Significant gains have been made in diminishing racial discrimination in hiring but much more remains to be accomplished. Insufficient is the concern given to the flagrant discrepancies evident in upgrading and promotion practices. Granted that race should be no criterion for promotion, neither should it be a barrier to advancement. Promotion on the basis of talent and achievement is an honorable and just claim which deserved unbiased recognition. “He who possesses certain rights has likewise the duty to claim these rights as marks of his dignity.” (Pope John XXIII in Peace on Earth)
Discrimination in professions, crafts and trades discourages the acquisition of proficiency and skill. No one gives his best where his talents are not appreciated. Because the Negro has been hindered in his preparation for occupations requiring special skills, justice calls for special efforts in the behalf of his training. Restricting the Negro to unskilled tasks not only checks his progress but works to the detriment of the nation’s labor force. Proper motivation and equal opportunity can provide the Negro youth with solid confidence which will strengthen his faith in himself and brighten his outlook in the future. Equal opportunity for employment can prevent despair, overcome racism and curb the spirit of rebellion.
EDUCATION
In furthering the best interests of Negro youth and the future of America, the racial segregation of schools can no longer be tolerated. It is hypocrisy to teach democracy in segregated schools. Segregated schools exist because there is segregation in housing. Eliminate the one the other will soon vanish. It is irony to educate for democracy with all its implied rights and freedoms in deliberately segregated institutions of learning. How cruel to open classroom doors and reveal opportunities for a better way of life - to awaken desires for nobler goals and then to close a gate of constraint on neighborhoods where real culture and virtue are hardly possible, and where dreams turn into nightmares. Catholic parochial schools should be outstanding examples of the unity and equality of all human beings which Christian doctrine demands.
OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Our hospitals have made praise-worthy strides in the integrations of patients and personnel. They should be on constant alert to eliminate any vestiges of discrimination. Physicians, nurses and hospital personnel are offered numerous opportunities for the practice of the corporal works of mercy. Any bias in the performance of these works would tend to retard recovery and add to the physical and mental discomfort of the patient.
Organizations bearing the name ‘Catholic’ or associated with Catholic causes ought to have qualifications for membership which are identical in every respect for any sincere applicant., Everything else being equal our Negro brothers should be extended invitations and welcomes into our associations in ways that show more finely our delight in having them. Past negligence can be atoned for by heartwarming examples of Christian brotherly love. “Charity” says St. Peter, “covers a multitude of sins.” (1Peter, 4, 8)
No one who considers himself a Christian should join any association which has as it’s stated or implied purpose the hindrance or the humiliation of another group because of race. On the other hand, no one should take issue with another for joining an organization designed specifically to promote the uniquely distinct interests of its members.
Part III
Pastoral Consideration
The Role of the Parish
The basic unit in the church Universal is the parish. It is for the parish to act as a leaven in the community, spreading the faith and maintaining a social climate conducive to the growth of holiness. The parish should be a living organism constantly concerned about the spiritual and material welfare of the people dwelling within its confines. In the furtherance of racial equality parishes should act promptly and decisively. Delay, hesitance, indifference and excuses point up the lack of positive good and can become grave faults of omission, damaging to the parish and injurious to the parishioners. The lack of positive good – sin of omission – is one which Christ singles out as deserving a place in hell. Parishes are guided in their spiritual activities and acceptance of parishioners by Ecclesiastical law. The Supreme Law of the Church which is the SALVATION OF SOULS must prevail in cases involving racial and minority groups.
Under no circumstances should the steeple of the parish church cast over its territory a gloomy shadow indicative of exclusiveness or a lack of missionary zeal. The Steeple should be for all people a beacon of truth reflecting the bright light of the Son of God. Parishes could perform a great social service in their communities if they would inspire their parishioners to work for and cooperate with civic and neighborhood organizations toward the following goals and objectives: A) Housing Legislation completely fair and strong enough to shatter the present pattern of compulsory segregation. B) Systematic enforcement of building codes, fire prevention ordinances and zoning laws. C) Realistic preparation of people in changing neighborhoods for integration. D) Welcome newcomers into the neighborhood warmly with an evident interest in their welfare.
Individual Responsibility
It is essential that the barriers that are causing racial misunderstanding be broken down. Those of us who are white can ask our Negro acquaintance how it fees to be denied service at hotels or restaurants. We can inquire how restrictions in employment affect their families and particularly the incentive for further education of their children. We can learn the anguish they feel because of their inability to secure decent housing in more attractive neighborhoods. We can get to know about their frustrations and aspirations.
Those of us who are Negro might ask our white associates to describe their apprehensions and reservation. All the pitfalls of misunderstanding should be openly faced not for the sake of debate but with the idea of building solid bridges of mutual understanding. Only the open and free exchange of opinions can bring about the proper realization of the rights and responsibilities that bind all sides.
Peaceful demonstrations which are a part of our American heritage are being used by our Negro neighbors to attract attention to their claims. As long as they serve a useful purpose under the guidance of responsible leadership they deserve our sympathetic attention and cooperation. Violence in any form is to be deplored. It only fans the flames of angry passions and stretches tension to the breaking point.
Examination of Conscience
God never makes a mistake. Every human being created by Him is here for a perfect reason. Comprehension of this truth will cause every individual to look at another with respect, no matter what his condition. Where differences exist that seem to defy explanation, personal adjustment and resignation to the will of God is the only approach to a solution. On matters of racial injustice consciences should be examined frequently; attitudes aired and purified; emotions controlled and the mind kept open. Prejudice is a form of Pride and like pride is seldom ever recognized by the possessor. The proud and prejudiced man looks down on his fellowman, and as long as he does is prevented from looking up to see the God of mercy and compassion, the Father of us all.
THE GREATEST VIRTUE
The key word in this message is Charity – Charity as it connotes the love of neighbor based on the love of God. Charity is not the giving the alms, is not condescension. It is a flaming devotion which radiates a brilliance and a warmth that brings joy and happiness to everyone it embraces. When we call upon Charity to solve our racial misunderstanding we are not slighting Justice, for it is charity that compliments and fulfills justice.
Without charity genuine peace among people is not possible. St. Paul’s description of charity is worth recalling here. “If I should speak the languages of men and of angles, but have no love, I am no more than a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal. Love is long-suffering, love is kind…it is not irritable, it takes no note of injury; it is not glad when injustice triumphs; it is glad when the truth prevails. Always it is ready to make allowances; always to trust; always to hope; always to be patient.” (1 Corinthians 13:1, 4-7)
Charity is meaningless until it is applied to dealings with our neighbor, and then it becomes a vibrant force. Charity needs a neighbor. Who? It was a lawyer who asked Christ the same question, and in answer the Lord narrated the parable of the Good Samaritan and gave the perfect definition of a neighbor. The lawyer asked, Who is my neighbor? Christ replies, “Which of these men behaved like a neighbor?” Christ point out that a neighbor is not someone in the second person but a way of behaving in the first person. A neighbor is not someone else but one’s self. Essentially the story of the Good Samaritan states that I do not have a neighbor. I make myself somebody’s neighbor. Being a neighbor is the personal way in which I meet someone else. It is the substantialization of the query – How good a neighbor am I? My encounter with someone else is more important than either of us may realize at the moment. When the last day comes, the day of judgment I will discover that it is the way in which I all unknowing met Christ.
I call for a courageous and unfaltering response to the challenges of racial justice and brotherly love. I please or clear thinking, convincing speech, forthright action. I pray that Divine Assistance remain with us.
WHAT CATHOLIC BISHOPS HAVE SAID ABOUT RACIAL PREJUDICE
We cannot in truthfulness call upon that God who is the Father of all if we refuse to act in a brotherly way toward certain men, created thought they be to God’s image. A man’s relationship with God the Father and his relationship with is brother men are so linked together that Scripture says: “He who does not love does not know god” (1John 4:8) . . . consequently, the Church rejects, as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrimination against men or harassment of them because of their race, color, condition of life, or religion.
- Second Vatican Council
The most crucial test of love of God is love of neighbor. In the words of the beloved Apostle: “If anyone says I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. How can he, who does not love his brother, whom he sees, love God, whom he does not see?” We can show our Christian charity by a quiet and courageous determination to make the quest for racial harmony a matte of person involvement. We must go beyond slogans and generalizations about color, and realize that all of us are human beings, men, women, and children, all sharing the same human nature and dignity, with the same desire, hopes an feelings. We should try to know and understand one anther.
- The Bishops of the Unites States
What do I claim for the black man? That which I claim for the white man, neither more or less… It is not possible to keep up a wall of separation between blacks and whites, and the attempt to do this is a declaration of continuous war… Let the Negro be our equal in the enjoyment of all the political rights of the citizen. The Constitution grants him those rights; let us be loyal to the Constitution…I would open to the Negro all industrial and professional avenues – the test for his advance being his ability, but never his color.
- Archbishop John Ireland, 1871
Our concern extends to all minority groups but in the land in which we live it must be directed first of all towards the Negro. It is here especially that the church must exercise its role of healing and of reconciliation. It must do this even though it may be criticized and attacked as was its founder, Christ the Suffering Servant. It has immediate urgency because we are at a critical point of deep tension in the slow struggle of the American Negro for his long denied rights. If one concedes, as one must, that the Negro is demanding is he full acceptance in American life, unjustly denied for hundreds of years, then we should be impatient, if not indignant, with the continuing demand that he be patient…We will never condone violence, but an over-reaction against violence on the part of a few is often used to conceal a deep-seated prejudice…It is precisely at this point in time that we should keep in the mind the aphorism: “those who make peaceful revolutions impossible are the very ones who make violent revolutions inevitable.”
- Richard Cardinal Cushing
Published 1968