Thursday, September 12, 2013

Electing a New Pope - A Fundamental Flaw

For those of you who have read my book, Institutional Racism and the Catholic Church, this post is a reflection on a serious problem that exists in the selection process for a new pope.



Newly elected Pope Francis I has, to date, modeled the qualities of what the papacy should signify – modesty, humility, concern for the “common” people, peace, etc. He was elected by the College of Cardinals from whose membership popes are currently chosen. Membership in the College of Cardinals encompasses a variety of ethnic groups – Italians, Irish, Germans, Polish, Chinese, Koreans, Africans, and Latinos. The profiles of these groups are similar to their American Catholic counterparts.

Americans were hopeful that an American cardinal would be elected pope, touting two cardinals considered, by Americans, to meet the qualities expected of a pope. However, that was not the case.  The cardinals chose to elect Pope Francis I who is of mixed parentage (Caucasian and Latino). CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT FROM THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS ARE AFRICAN AMERICANS, and the fact that no African American is a member of this “elite” group, smacks of nepotism and elitism as well as racism. A cursory examination of the ethnicity of American cardinals and the paths they followed culminating in their appointments as cardinals support the charge of nepotism and elitism as well as racism.
 


For many years African American men were denied admission to Caucasian seminaries, Diocesan and Order seminaries. Once accepted, some or all experienced racism. (See references in my book, Institutional Racism and the Catholic Church.) Two seminaries, however, are credited with having been the first to train African American men for the priesthood. They are the Society of the Divine Word based in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and St. Joseph Seminary based in Baltimore, Maryland. Other seminaries, Diocesan and Order, began accepting African American priesthood candidates generations after their founding.  

U.S. Roman Catholic decision makers, along with the larger society, have followed the same pattern of discriminating against African Americans. It appears that the lack of African American cardinals has never been seriously considered among the U.S. Roman Catholic hierarchy.Below from the lowest to the highest are clergy levels  before the level of pope. The Cardinal level is the level just below that of pope.Below from the lowest to the highest are clergy levels  before the level of pope. The Cardinal level is the level just below that of pope.


1)      Priest
2)      Monsignor
3)      Bishop
4)      Archbishop
5)      Cardinal

Caucasian priests who became cardinals were trained either in Diocesan seminaries or Order seminaries and their upward progressions appear to have been fostered by influential individuals within those domains. The long-standing exclusion of African Americans from the College of Cardinals, and the prejudicial acts perpetrated against African Americans, by some, not all, Roman Catholics, continue to follow the same pattern as the larger society. Hopefully, Pope Francis will become aware of the exclusion of African Americans from the College of Cardinals and will put into motion procedures to correct the injustices.  


Caucasian priests who became cardinals were trained either in Diocesan seminaries or Order seminaries and their upward progressions appear to have been fostered by influential individuals within those domains. The long-standing exclusion of African Americans from the College of Cardinals, and the prejudicial acts perpetrated against African Americans, by some, not all, Roman Catholics, continue to follow the same pattern as the larger society. Hopefully, Pope Francis will become aware of the exclusion of African Americans from the College of Cardinals and will put into motion procedures to correct the injustices.  


Unfortunately there are no seminaries founded by African Americans. However, it would appear that after accepting and ordaining African American men, Caucasian seminary leaders would have been at the forefront in promoting a process whereby African American priests would, at least, be consider cardinal candidates.  Caucasians who eventually reached the level of cardinal were either trained in Diocesan seminaries or in Order seminaries. Diocesan seminaries were established in city/state municipalities for the purpose of training priests to service parishes in those municipalities. Order seminaries were established by clerics who named their particular Orders after men who were declared saints. (Franciscan Orders have been named after St. Francis and Dominican Orders have been named after St. Dominic.) Priests in Order seminaries may be assigned to settlements throughout the world. For example, the Capuchin Franciscan Order of Friars has priests in two or more of the six continents.

Bishop Wilton Gregory of the Atlanta, Georgia Archdiocese is the lone African American archbishop. Bishop Gregory is a former chair of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. He proved to be an effective administrator in two of his previous appointments (Chicago, Illinois and Bellwood, Illinois). He and other select African American priests/bishops, without any doubt, possess the qualities of what is expected of a cardinal.  A cursory examination of their educational achievements and their experiential backgrounds are testament to their abilities to be effective cardinals.

5 comments:

  1. With more then 1300 Black Parishes, 250 African American Priests, 300 African American Sisters and 380 African American Deacons you would assume that we could have a minimum of one African American Cardinal if not two!

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    1. Ms. Summer,

      Thank you for your response. Please share with me the source of your statistics. Brother Roy Smith speaks highly of you.

      Dolores

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  3. Ms. Williams,

    While your interest in social justice is admirable, simple mathematics do not work in your favor. The US has 11 voting cardinals representing about 70 million Catholics. At the same time, the Philippines, with 75.5 million Catholics, have one cardinal and just got a new cardinal-designate. This same example holds out in many other countries with more Catholics and less cardinals.

    Generously assuming that there are two million African-american Catholics, to create an equal level of racial/cultural representation in the College of Cardinals, there would have to be 600 cardinals. Canon law dictates a maximum of 120 voting cardinals, which Pope Francis has respected. This statistic also assumes that every other country except for the US is totally free of distinct ethnic or social identities. There are no cardinals specifically for Aborigines in Australia, Tamils in Sri Lanka, Eskimos in Nunavut, Hutus in Rwanda, etc.

    Simply put, to accuse the Church of racism based on the absence of an African-american cardinal, at least under current canon law, is condoning depriving other people in other parts of the world of their own right to representation that you're saying you have been deprived of. I'm not sure the Holy Father would approve, and he's not white. I might suggest that we get back to Christ's work and not be distracted in looking for the devil in every shadow. God Bless!!

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    1. Hingle McCringleberry,

      My interest in social justice has to do with the process of how candidates for cardinals are promoted in the United States, and I stand by my statement regarding racism and nepotism! At least one of the American cardinals should be an African American.

      It behooves those interested in social justice in Australia (Aborigines), Sri Lana (Tamils), Nunavut (Eskimos) and Rwanda (Hutus), etc. to campaign for justice at it relates to racism, sexism, nepotism and ethnic rivalries that exist in their countries. My latest book, INSTITUTIONAL RACISM AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, documents my own personal encounters with racism as an African American Catholic as well as the experiences of other African Americans.

      Characterizing me as not doing the work of Christ and of being "distracted in looking for the devil in every shadow" is not a statement characteristic of the manner in which Christ related. Racism is not in the shadows in the United States. It is in the forefront and according to friends in Italy with whom I correspond, it is not in the shadows there either.

      I am not a canon lawyer and I question whether you are, but if your figures are correct, justice cries out for change. Also, I read in one bio of Pope Francis that his blood line is White AND Latino. I admire his modus operandi in relating to others and I am confident that if and when my concern about the lack of an African American cardinal is brought to his attention, he will use his influence to correct the injustice.

      God bless you!

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