Trayvon Martin: Healing Racism Through Faith and Truth

Fordham's Maureen O'Connell has a great article in NCR on the Church's lack of attention to the Trayvon Martin case (http://ncronline.org/comment/reply/29592). Back in 1998, Cardinal Bevilacqua promulgated a strong and clear teaching, calling the Church to stand against racism. Villanova used to have it on their website, but it seems to have been taken down. So too on the Archdiocese's website. Despite the fact the Cardinal's reputation has taken several hits as a result of recent priest sex abuse scandals, his prophetic words on racism should not be forgotten. - Fr. Rick.

Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua,

Healing Racism through Faith and Truth (1998)

"Racism is a moral disease and it is contagious. No one is born a racist. Carriers infect others in countless ways through words and attitudes, deeds and omissions. Yet, one thing is certain - the disease of racism can and must be eradicated. … In short, racism and Christian life are incompatible" (Bevilacqua 1998).

"Racism has been condemned as a sin many times… For the truth to have an impact on us, for it to really set us free, it must become our truth. It must be operative within us. It must penetrate and ignite our minds and hearts" (Bevilacqua 1998).