Racism Alive in the Catholic Church

by Letters Editor · January 21, 2016

From Jeanette M Lesisa, Clayville, Gauteng -�I am writing this letter based on the past weeks� controversy around racism. This is a major concern for all of us as South Africans.

While the media and social networks debated this issue, it made me reflect about the division in our Catholic Church. Our Church is discriminating in so many ways and nothing is being done about it. Why?

Last year the Catholic Church in South Africa celebrated the most wonderful gift: having our own martyr. At the beatification ceremony of Bl Benedict Daswa in September one could tell that the Catholics are not united. The majority of people who attended this beautiful event were black people. Most white people present at the event were priests and nuns, let alone a handful of Indians and Coloureds.

Another event was the Mini World Youth Day camp held at John Bosco Centre near Johannesburg in December. The majority of the youth who attended were blacks. Why?

Our Catholic Church in South Africa is silent about the issue of racism, and this is disturbing. Racism is alive in our lives and the communities we live in.

How can we declare that we love God but do not love our fellow people because their skin pigmentation is different from ours?

I am appealing to our Catholic family that we start dealing with this issue of racism/discrimination/division in our parishes, so that we may be able to build better communities.

Let charity begin at home!