Looking through my Favourite Places link and I found this link I thought I would share:The Church and Racism
I am not sure why, but racism in today’s American Church(or American culture) is addressed in two different campgrounds(if at all). The first one is the politically correct opinion “celebrate diversity, let us have more people or colour” camp, and the camp that racism is the figment of the imagination of those minorities who want nothing more than self pity. I once saw Alice von Hildebrand on Mother Angelica Live say her husband, Deitrich used to say the truth does not lie in the middle of two extremes, but it is something above it. This is quite true in this situation.
When I first reverted back to my faith, I was very heartbroken to see racism still existed in my Church. I knew it was out in the world, workplace, school systems etc., but I had hoped to find respite among my fellow Catholics. I think the first slap in the face to this was when my dh and I browsed at a Catholic supply/ Ethnic Irish goods store and were followed the whole time we were in the store. Here and there we have seen things, like people refusing to shake our hand during the sign of peace and other little things.
I think one of the most flagrant forms of racism though is the Black Catholic Church. Now, not in all dioceses, some do it very well. I attended Xavier University of La, and frankly, as long as we are going to have historically black colleges, I think there should be a Catholic one too. In some dioceses it is a place to find more “afrocentric” Catholic art etc. Here we have a “Church” that is literally called “Black Catholic Apostolate”. I feel like the ministry is like the handicap entrance at a store-“you go there!” The emphasis is more on wearing kente cloth and on “culture” then on the sacrifice of the Mass. There is also a Hispanic Catholic parish. People are always trying to convince us that we need to go to one of these two parishes (I am half black, my dh is Puerto Rican). Why is there a need to herd the minorities off to their own little parishes? I don’t know, maybe it is one of those things I do not understand about this diocese.