Posted on 06/08/2020 9:02:58 AM PDT by ebb tide
“To fight racism, Catholics must hunger for justice like we do for the Eucharist.” This was the headline of a joint editorial piece published on America, the Jesuit magazine, upon the aftermath of a week’s worth of mob protest, extensive looting, and the disintegration of public law and order. In just a few words, the struggle for justice—whether in the form of peaceful protest displayed by the late Martin Luther King, Jr., or the uncontrolled mob chaos and property destruction taking place in every major city across America—became morally just, despite the former abiding with the law while the latter thwarts any notion of it, and theologically equivalent to receiving the Eucharist, the true Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Later in the piece, the editors—most of them, presumably, Jesuit priests—implored “white Catholics especially, to conversion, repentance and reconciliation.” Apparently, every white Catholic must go to confession and seek forgiveness for the systemic societal and cultural violence he has supposedly inflicted onto the black community. Apparently, white Catholics are culpable in such social sin due merely to the color of their skin.
For the Jesuits, it isn’t enough to be sorry for one’s personal sins; one must also feel the shame and guilt from being born into a specific race, though it extends beyond the realm of free will. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
Father Eric Rutten, pastor of Saint Peter Claver in Saint Paul, shared his enlightened thoughts with America on the topic of white supremacy. “The misguided idea that white people can somehow push people around, or that we own this country, or that we own Minneapolis leads to terrible disrespect, leads to poverty, leads to, in this case, violence, and in many cases, violence,” Father Rutten said. America was quick to identify Father as “white.” Yet it seemed to ignore the actual reasons why violence continues to exist in black communities—the breakdown of the family, the opioid crisis, youth unemployment—and rather blamed another racial group entirely.
Father Patrick Saint-Jean, a member of the Jesuit’s Midwest Province, upon reflection on the death of George Floyd, wrote in America that “perhaps all white people need to find a way to better train their ears and eyes to adequately see and hear black people.” The egregious sin of a single man—Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer, who didn’t hear or acknowledging George Floyd’s pleas of “I can’t breathe”—is now the collective sins for all belonging to his particular race. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
In an interview with the Jesuit review, Danielle M. Brown, associate director for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ ad hoc committee against racism, focused on what must be realized by the laity in this pivotal moment in American Catholic history. “White Catholics have to realize, point blank, we have got to pray about this,” said Ms. Brown. “Even if this ‘does not affect you,’ at this particular moment, it is affecting you because it’s affecting just about everybody.” It’s not Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, or American Indian Catholics that must pray, but only white Catholics, regardless of whether or not they have played an active role in promoting racism. What must be prayed for by all Catholics is the end of the universally violent protests targeting businesses and livelihoods—many of which may be owned by Catholic families—which are being destroyed, pillaged, and literally burned to the ground in the hundreds throughout this nation.
❧
On how to respond as Catholics, America’s editors offered five recommendations: repentance, solidarity, presence, formation, and prayer. On the topic of solidarity, the editors observed that “many Catholics seem too timid to listen [to] and collaborate with new movements, such as Black Lives Matter, that are leading today’s charge for justice” and suggested that “bishops, pastors and lay leaders ought to make overtures to anti-racist activist groups present in their communities.” Why should our religious leaders support advocacy groups that perpetuate the idea of systematic racism and identity politics, like Black Lives Matter, and which often instigate civil disorder and cause millions of dollars in property damage?
The logic of the Jesuits (who were among the largest corporate slave-owners in early America and staunch opponents of abolitionism throughout the early 19th century) becomes even more tenuous. To encourage Catholics in supporting these riots, the editors point out that, in the 1960s, a “generation of clergy and religious left us with iconic images of Catholics marching hand in hand with prominent civil rights leaders.” “Today,” however, “when images and videos of protests are shared more quickly and widely than ever, collars and habits have been sparse.” It may be worth pointing out that many of those activist priests and nuns would abandon their vocations shortly thereafter
The images and videos of these protests that the editors speak of show neighborhoods—often predominantly black ones—burnt to ashes. They show members of the mob attacking innocent bystanders and journalists. They show the desecration of public monuments and historic buildings, including churches, and the list continues. It will take years for these stricken communities to rebuild themselves, economically and culturally. And yet the editors of America state unequivocally that “Catholics, especially those whose presence and dress visibly symbolizes the church, ought to attend protests in order to demonstrate the church’s commitment.”
Racism exists. It is our duty as Catholics, and as human beings, to help resolve this issue. But to confront racism with inherently race-oriented measures and policies, as proposed by the staff at America magazine, won’t help the situation. To its detriment, many more Catholics will express outrage for such unwarranted racial targeting and avoid the national discourse that the Jesuits claim is so urgently needed for the healing of this country.
................................................
The logic of the Jesuits (who were among the largest corporate slave-owners in early America and staunch opponents of abolitionism throughout the early 19th century) becomes even more tenuous.
Ping
RE: Is It a Sin to Be White?
If it is a sin to be white or black or yellow or any color, then blame God for making you who you are.
No it is not. I’m happy to be me.
If you say “All Lives Matter”, you get attacked. They say that’s hateful and if you don’t understand why, then you lack understanding.
I say: “All Lives Matter to Jesus”. If you hate that, then I guess you lack understanding. And all I can say is that I have an absolute Constitutional right to say it.
The Coward Brees are trying to teach this to us.
It seems ridiculous to engage any of the race narrative.
Forget it. Let the communists and the deep state convict themselves of their own sins.
Some little children are being taught that they are bad and
their parents make them hold up “I Am Privileged” “Black
Lives Matter” signs..
It is Child Abuse!
“...Forget it. Let the communists and the deep state convict themselves of their own sins....”
Yep. let em eat each other. Then, whatever is left standing, lock it up.
Heaven no! God made me!
No. It is a sin to call somebody a sinner based on their skin color.
It's also racist.
Is It a Sin to Be White?
The fact that such a question can even be asked exemplifies the pervasive madness of the present age.
Beware of Catholicism, and Western Christianity as a whole, being sucked into “Liberation Theology”. Salvation comes through social justice rather than Jesus. Your entire faith identity is built around you victimization and oppression, primarily by white people, and is based on Marxism. For those not sufficiently oppressed, faith is expressed by activism and rejecting your privileged.
Latin Liberation Theology is pretty vanilla Marxism wrapped in religion. Black Liberation Theology is much more radical. Both are evil.
Same parent company, different corporate division.
So now my Church believes in the doctrine of collective guilt. But I still must confess these collective sins individually in Penance. And they really believe this is what Christ intende. Collective guild leads to collective punishment. The Jews, the Kulaks, the victims of the Cultural Revolution know something about collective guilt.
I don't care what color you are, if your pink, green, purple, yellow, or what ever....I'm so tired of African Americans crying all the time that they don't have this or they don't have that, well get off your butt and go make something of yourself...
Look at Condalisa Rice, Colin Powell, and the rest of the people, there are Professors that are Black, there are government officials that are Black, so what's your problem???
There is ‘white trash’ just as lazy as Black people are; I loved Dr. King, he knew what he was talking about, but no you were to busy listening to soap opera's to hear him, ‘ Oh poor me, I can't get out of the ghetto’ well get people together and build up the ‘ghetto’ and people will come to your town and spend money...
Pink towns, yellow towns, green towns, it doesn't matter...and ALL LIVES MATTER, you ‘black lives matter’ people are nothing but thugs along with Aunti Fat...
Get a life and do something beside burn down buildings, turning over cars and setting them on fire, or California's favorite thing, stand in the middle of the freeway...didn't your ‘mama’ tell you roads are for cars, trucks not PEOPLE???
As you say...then blame God. At the root of all of this is man screaming at God that he is not fair.
Folks ask me, why do you say you are a proud EX-Catholic?
Because of the crap, like this, coming out of the Church - and has been for decades.
That and the pedophile rapists covered by the higher ups.
My Mother, a staunch Catholic was so disappointed in her later years. The Priest at her Mass couldn’t even speak English....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.