Tea Party Politics - Playing the Race Card

After centuries of the papacy's ostentation, greed, mismanagement and corruption God has sent a craftsman in the person of Pope Francis to repair the broken arm of the chair of St. Peter. Pope Francis, to date, has opened the doors and windows of the papacy in his focus on the poor and marginalized people of God who need help. Hopefully, the appointments he has made and will make will prove to be fruitful. The pageantry, pomp and circumstance that have characterized the Vatican persona of the past appear to be rituals of the past. 

 

I hope and pray that the glaring ecclesiastical leadership flaws in the United States will reach the attention of Pope Francis. The lack of African American cardinals is a void that emanates from local levels in the United States.  There needs to be a serious examination of the process that has enabled the various ethnic priests to ascend to the level of cardinal and the conscious or unconscious manipulations that have contributed to the exclusion of African Americans. 

I mailed to Pope Francis a copy of my book, INSTITUTIONAL RACISM AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, TURNING FROM A TROUBLED PAST TO A MORE INCLUSIVE FUTURE. In the cover letter I implored the Pope to use the influence of his office to address the racial injustices that permeate the Roman Catholic Church within the United States. It is questionable as to whether the package will ever reach Pope Francis, but I feel good about having made an effort to have my voice heard.

Another area of immorality and injustice that the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the United States needs to address is the blatant disregard by so-called Tea Party groups to demean the presidency of Barack Obama. These groups have demonstrated a determination to dismantle the United States government in order to muddy President Obama's presidency. President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have borne the brunt of racist characterizations that have received much media attention. Civil Rights icon, John Lewis, was spit upon by individuals within a Tea Party protest group that was in the Capital.

These discriminatory acts are not just private emotional and personal sentiments, they are a system of an immoral force that violates and nullifies tents incorporated in the Ten Commandments. I would project that if a poll was taken among Tea Party members it would reveal that they profess to be Christians with a sizable number being of the Roman Catholic faith. Hopefully, level heads within the government will prevail and make the United States the "more perfect union" it was meant to be.

 

The Catholic Church has Wide-Reaching Influences

Since writing my book Institutional Racism and the Catholic Church, I've been reaching out to the Catholic press to publish articles, and to date no one will accept a feature article. My requests for interviews have also not been responded to. Recently, a significant Catholic magazine first agreed to place an ad for my book in their online publication, then rescinded that approval. Here was the ad graphic:

Although the Catholic Church has wide-reaching influences, I am hopeful that some agency/group/influential individual will become aware of my book and respond regardless of the title.  Bottom-up Catholics are afraid to openly criticize the church, and the hierarchy, fearful of losing influence, has been successful intimidating its underlings. 

A case in point is Father Bryan N. Massingale, the author of RACIAL JUSTICE and the CATHOLIC CHURCH.  If you recall, I used him as a source in the racism book.  He is in "left field" all by himself.  When I have mentioned his name in conversation with Catholics, lay and religious, they raise their eyebrows and clam up.  He is an associate professor at Marquette University and from all appearances, he is respected by his predominately white students.  I suspect that his salary is augmented by his numerous speaking engagements that are not well publicized.