Kicking out racism

by Editor · March 9, 2005

As South Africans stood in those queues that characterised their first inclusive election, the optimistic elation seemed to suggest that the racial history of this country would miraculously vanish.

A miracle had already been accomplished, by God’s grace. Instead of the bloody revolution many had anticipated, South Africa experienced a peaceful transition.

Nelson Mandela led a process of reconciliation which most South Africans embraced. For white South Africa things might otherwise have been much worse.

And yet, racial issues continue to bubble under in our society.

Many white South Africans would prefer to simply banish the memory of a cruel, racist system. There is a widespread expectation that unconditional forgiveness should be automatic, without atonements having been made.

Worse, in some areas of the country, racism is still rife. The k-word has not, alas, lost its ubiquity, and reports of racial violence have not dissipated.

On the other hand, the processes of black economic empowerment and affirmative action have often been handled clumsily and even with a measure of arrogance. Whatever the merits of these programmes, many white and indeed coloured and Indian people may feel a reasonable sense of injustice when their aspirations are cut short on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Any form of racial discrimination is certain to create racial tension, whatever the context. Sometimes race is used, and abused, to express personal antagonism. More often, racism is perpetrated unconsciously and therefore more difficult to quantify than explicit bigotry.

Such tensions also exist within the Catholic Church, according to a report by the bishops’ Justice & Peace department.

Much progress has been made on many levels within the Church. Yet, it should be a matter of concern when black priests complain of being treated as inferiors, or when black parish priests report feelings of not being fully accepted in traditionally white parishes.

Public debate on inculturation an official and consequential programme of the Church mandated by Pope John Paul in Ecclesia in Africa is often undermined by the notion that the only legitimate model for the local Church is eurocentric (an approach that disregards the fact that the Latin rite itself was a result of Roman inculturation).

Black concerns and aspirations are sometimes attributed to some form of counter racism or historical animosity.

It is regrettable that there should be a situation where some priests feel a reasonable need for an organisation such as the African Catholic Priest Solidarity Movement. It must be an aspiration of the Church on every level to render the need for such an organisation redundant by establishing a Church community where the question of race becomes academic.

Evidently, the Church in South Africa has not yet reached such a point.

The proposed parish workshops to examine issues of race show that the bishops are taking active steps to address what remains a problem. These workshops, which will also include the problem of xenophobia, must be strongly supported when and where they happen.

By definition, the Church is a community. Racial tensions must not be allowed to continue sowing disunity in South Africa’s Catholic Church.