Racism is a sin, the effects of which have become painfully and violently evident in cities across the U.S. in recent weeks. The Catholic Church has always held that every human being, regardless of his or her skin color, is made in the image and likeness of God, and therefore, has intrinsic value and worth. Racism destroys that dignity that God bestows. It has no place in our societies or in our hearts.
God of justice, In your wisdom you create all people in your image, without exception.
Through your goodness, open our eyes to see the dignity, beauty, and worth of every human being.
Open our minds to understand that all your children are brothers and sisters in the same human family.
Open our hearts to repent of racist attitudes, behaviors, and speech which demean others.
Open our ears to hear the cries of those wounded by racial discrimination, and their passionate appeals for change.
Strengthen our resolve to make amends for past injustices and to right the wrongs of history.
And fill us with courage that we might seek to heal wounds, build bridges, forgive and be forgiven, and establish peace and equality for all in our communities.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
Bishop David Zubik spoke on Relevant Radio about the establishment of St. Benedict the Moor Parish as a personal parish for Black Catholics in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Within the interview he also addressed the evil of racism and spoke about how it must be eliminated from our world.
To listen to the full interview, CLICK HERE.
Only half of U.S. Catholics comprehend the Church’s teaching on Communion (the Eucharist) a recent study finds. Results from a new Pew Survey show that members of the Jewish faith are the most knowledgeable among America’s religious communities regarding world religions, while only half of American Catholics know what their own Church teaches on core principles such as Communion.
According to the survey, exactly 50 percent of Catholics in the United States correctly answered a question about Church teaching on ‘Transubstantiation’, the belief that during Mass the gifts of bread and wine at the consecration become the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Though the appearance of bread and wine remain, their substance changes. Slightly under half of Catholics surveyed incorrectly said the Church teaches that the bread and wine distributed at Communion are only symbols of the body and blood of Christ. A small percentage of the people were not sure, the study reported.
Though only 34 percent of Americans overall were certain of the teaching on Transubstantiation, more than half showed knowledge of the Catholic concept of ‘Purgatory’, which is a place of purification for a person who has died but whose soul is not yet ready to enter heaven. Nearly a quarter of participants incorrectly said purgatory was a place of damnation for evildoers.
Only 71 percent of Catholics got the purgatory question right. While not a perfect score, it significantly (and sadly) outweighs the number of Catholics who showed a correct understanding of the most basic Church teaching on the Holy Eucharist.
SO LET'S BE CLEAR — In the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the whole and entire Christ is truly and really present. His 'Presence' is called 'real' because it is 'presence' in the fullest sense. That is to say, it is a ‘substantial’ presence by which Christ, both God and Man, makes Himself wholly and entirely present. (see "Catechism of the Catholic Church", 1374)
Bishop Robert Barron
is the founder of
Word on Fire Catholic Ministries
and Auxiliary Bishop
of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.