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 Beyond Skin Color May 12, 2007
Fr. Cajetan does a brave thing. He addresses the issue of racism in our country and in our Church. I commend him. His history of racism in our Church's is informative and enlightening. I was never aware that the Catholic Church in America had such a poor record. Also, I was never aware of how unfair the application of the GI Bill was toward African Americans. All this information helped me better understand why things are as they are here in America. The personal accounts and interviews are interesting to read as well. I used a lot of this information to help teach my unit on racism in my Morality & Social Justics class at my high school. The presentation of the material got a little repetitive though. It seemed like he restated some of the same conclusions over again. Also, his presentation of interviews came across to me as weak research. I do not deny the truth of his findings. Racism certainly exists in America and in all the denominations of the Christian faith. However, the way Dr. Cajetan would conclude something based on only 3-4 interviews seemed a bit unscholarly and lacking in credibility. I think it owuld have had more credibility if he had short exerpts from 30-40 leading pastors or religious from around the nation and not primarily from the St Louis area.
 Beyond the Color of Skin Feb 15, 2007
Good discussion and questions of authors encounters of racial discrimination issues in the church and in the broader society.
Combat Racism, Visiting Nigerian Priest Writes in Book Dec 18, 2006
Combat Racism, Visiting Nigerian Priest Writes in Book
By Joseph Kenny
Review Staff Writer
It is time for churches to combat racial injustice in America and among
their congregations, according to a Catholic priest from Nigeria who
has taken a detailed look at the problem.
Father Cajetan Ngozika Ihewulezi, a priest of the Holy Ghost order, resides at Sts. Teresa and
Bridget Parish in North St. Louis and serves as a hospital chaplain
while attending graduate studies. He is the author of a new book, "Beyond
the Color of Skin: Encounters with Religions and Racial Injustice in
America."
In his book he looks at the issue as an outsider, coming to America to
attend St. Louis University and now Aquinas Institute of Theology.
He noted that some hospital patients show their prejudice over having a
black priest anoint them. "Even now," he said, "some Catholics still
have that prejudice."
He wrote about people who view the Catholic Church as a "white man's
church" and he told of an emotional dialogue he had about racism with a
cab driver shortly after arriving in St. Louis.
"I see the churches, not just the Catholic Church but American
churches, as having neglected the issue of civil rights and racial justice. It
is as if they feel everything is OK. But in actuality negative things
are still happening, and the continued silence calls for a renewed
evaluation," Father Ihewulezi said.
To him, racial injustice is not a lesser evil than abortion, embryonic
stem-cell research or sexual abuse, all of which have received the full
attention of U.S. churches. He has seen the effects of what he called
"racial abuse" on those who have suffered from it.
The long-lasting effects on their lives, he said, is similar to the
effects of sexual abuse. For instance, he said, racial injustice has
tended to keep its victims in poverty and has destroyed their self-worth.
"It's still a problem that has to be pursued as vigorously as abortion
or sexual abuse. It's happening in society and also in the churches."
For Catholics, he said, "racial injustice is not in line with our
faith. There is no justification for that. The Catholic Church teaches that
racial injustice should be resisted, even the least bit of it."
Father Ihewulezi noted instances in some Catholic churches where black
people have been unwelcome. Whites have refused to sit in their pew or
shake hands with them. In one instance a pastor suggested that perhaps
they'd feel more comfortable at another parish.
"For people to behave that way in a Catholic church is uncalled for and
an embarrassment of the faith," Father Ihewulezi said.
Not everyone is this way, he noted, but that kind of behavior,
"especially for us who are foreigners coming here with the impression of
America as a place of equality, is insulting."
His intention in writing the book was to create a forum on the issue,
he said. "It's a call for a dialogue to address the problem. You can't
eliminate racial injustice by sweeping it under the carpet."
The goal is for people to coexist harmoniously, he said, and he did not
intend to antagonize churches or governments.
Father Ihewulezi said he had been warned that he would get a negative
reaction to his book and that it would incite hate groups. But he said
he approached it as a missionary would, speaking out when seeing
something wrong. He also said he values the American ideal of freedom of
speech.
So far, he has had only positive reaction. Many have welcomed it,
especially for his detail on the origins of racial injustice, the churches'
connection to it and why it is still persistent. "Americans love the
truth," he said.
The book also could make a good resource for high school or college
students and has been recommended for students in clinical pastoral
education, he said.
Social workers and health workers have neglected the issue but need to
pay attention to it and report cases of racial abuse, Father Ihewulezi
said.
In interviews with various sources, including archdiocesan priests
Msgr. Francis Blood and Father Eugene Morris, the author focuses on steps
to counter racial injustice.
A more welcoming attitude is one response. Another is more efforts
between mostly white congregations and mostly black congregations to come
together for worship and other experiences. An emphasis needs to be
placed on helping poorer parishes, Father Ihewulezi said.
In addition, he said "it is time for the Church to be more active, more
vocal" in condemning racism. He cited the lack of a response when a
former politician discussed a theory that aborting every black baby would
lower the crime rate in America.
Also needing a response are instances of police brutality against black
suspects, the lack of funding for infrastructure in the black community
and the disparity of educational opportunities for inner-city black
students and suburban white students, he said.
Growing up in a community with abandoned buildings, streets that are
not repaired and schools that lack resources "makes you feel inferior,"
he said, calling this neglect, "structures of injustice."
The Catholic Church, he said, needs to empower its civil rights offices
to dialogue with public officials and others.
Remaining silent is dangerous for the nation, he said, citing similar
situations where such silence led to genocide.
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