The Bible which we hold to be the inspired word of God reveals that the human person is created in the image and like of God and thus is endowed with a special dignity in all of creation. We also learn the fundamental truth that our human condition is tainted by the wound of original sin. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came to dwell among us to set us free from sin and death so that we might live with him for all eternity. In his teaching, he taught us that love is the fundamental reality of our existence and that we are to love our neighbors and our enemies as ourselves.
Within this context, racism is a profound sin which goes against the desire of God for all nations. Our heavenly Father desires the salvation of all people, irregardless of their race and nationality. He desires to unite all people in the Body of Christ. The Christian cannot love God and hate his neighbor, especially when that hatred is motivated by race.
As brothers and sisters in Christ, we must work to end racism in all it’s manifestations. We also must seek to address poverty and other societal issues which prevent human flourishing. A truly Christian approach will seek to build bridges between communities and peoples. A truly Christian approach will engage in authentic dialogue in which people of opposing views can be heard and understood without fear or intimidation.
Recent events make urgent the need to have open and honest dialogue within our community. It also makes urgent the need to employ our energies to best diagnose the underlying issues and find suitable remedies. It seems like now would be a good time to consider what our community is doing to address racism, poverty, and injustice, and how we can move forward in the coming years.
Effective solutions will require cooperation between conservatives and liberals, among people of different political views and different backgrounds. We cannot afford to ignore those with whom we disagree, but rather must seek to understand and come to agreement. If issues of racism, poverty, and injustice are going to be adequately addressed, they need broad support that transcends political divisions.
The quest for unity and cooperation among people of good will is not optional, but is intimately tied with what it means to be a Christian.
Fr. Ian VanHeusen, Hi!, Also, while attending community college, one of my courses was A&P (Anatomy and Physiology) In that course we learned the various ethnicity’s of the human race and realized that all of us have skin determined by the amount of melinen found in our DNA which is inherited from our parents thus the various skin colors as a result….However, all of us bleed the same ‘RED BLOOD’…..Also, each of the systems which make up our inner and outer bodies have a backup system which Our Creator put in place in case of problems which may arise….I found this to be fascinatingly remarkable which drew me even more close to Our Heavenly Father and appreciate our Human Family even more so….It disturbs me, more educated individuals cannot see that we belong to the Human Race as brothers, sisters, mom’s,-dad’s, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. and to stop this racism once and for all…It is much better to learn from one another cultures, languages, to better understand one another, be patient while going through this process and in the long run learn to LOVE one another for whom we are and what we are about but most of all with a goal to Know Our GOD and LOVE Him more for all He has given us in abundance when we look around at THE WONDERS OF NATURE IN ALL ASPECTS, SPECIES, Including the HEAVENS ABOVE. Thank you Fr. Ian and have a blessed day! Sincerely,
Dear Father Ian,
Thank you, again, for your profound insights as a catholic christian and religious leader of your catholic flock. You are a beacon of hope among us catholics for whom too many other priests, bishops, and archbishops remain silent or even worse, bow in subservience to what is effectively an anti-christian political agenda. My family and I pray for our religious brothers and sisters , especially that you may have discernment and perseverance in these troubling times. We are so happy to be at your masses at St. Peter’s!
Yes, racism is a sickness of soul, that only Christ can heal.
Right now, our nation is being attacked by those who not only hate Christ, they hate us for being Christians. We recently consecrated our home and our lives to the Blessed Mother. Through a month-long process of praying the rosary and meditation on our lives, I felt her transforming our hearts and minds. I truly believe that she is calling soldiers to herself, and that our time of trial is just beginning. As she gave Christ his humanity, and was his first mortal “teacher,” she will continue to instruct us in how best to witness, defend or even be martyred for love of her Son.
I see this as only the beginning of a real battle between good and evil. We must protect and defend our nation of liberty and laws, or risk being increasingly subject to the servility of a tyrannical nation-state.
Thank you for speaking out on the subject none of us can any longer afford to avoid. Yes, it is your duty as a priest, and you are being true to your vows, no matter how unpopular your opinion may be.
As my mother always said, when your enemies hate you, you’re doing something right. God Bless you and Happy July 4th!!!
Sincerely, Karen Stevens
(I do not do any social media, but you may re-post if you so choose.)
Thank you for speaking up on this topic. This was very well said. So many church leaders are quiet right now in a time when guidance is most needed. I’d love to see you address more topics like this with such a crazy election coming up. Pro-life issues top the list in the circles I am in, and too often they are used as a weapon rather than a point of mutual understanding, pro-life meaning life and dignity in all life stages – and these different life stages and issues are stacked into various pecking orders among various people. For example, how do we make good decisions in the polls this November when neither party is perfect and we are responsible before God for our decisions, while some “life” issues are able to be disagreed on in solutions but others are always wrong? I’d be curious to hear some of your thoughts on this and other issues. Thank you for your continued good work!