By James Murphy, Catholic Worker at St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality
January 25, 2019
“Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love, A Pastoral Letter Against Racism” was approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on November 14, 2018. Pastoral letters are rare events and are meant to be read, studied and discussed by all American Catholics. Recent events in Washington D.C. involving Convington Catholic school students have sparked a lot of discussion and controversy with a wide range of opinions and interpretations. Further reflection and discernment on what that event means is still ongoing. I am not writing to weigh in on the ambiguities of the Lincoln Memorial encounter; I’m more concerned with the obvious fact that many students were wearing red hats with the “Make America Great Again” slogan. The MAGA slogan and the red hats they are printed on are a new symbol of racism and have no place on the heads of faithful Catholics. White Catholics must recognize and clearly acknowledge that America has not been great in the past, nor is it great now, for Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and all people who are not white. We need to be frank and clear; America has been mostly great for white people, and especially white men. We need to understand that to our sisters and brothers of Color, MAGA means Make America White Again. For another cultural perspective, I suggest reading a thoughtful article by CNN columnist Isaac Bailey: Why Trump’s MAGA Hats Have Become a Potent Symbol of Racism.
“Open Wide Our Hearts” outlines very clearly our country’s historical roots of racism and how it persists today. I’ve included a few examples from the pastoral letter, but many more are given in the document:
“Native Americans were killed, imprisoned, sold into slavery, and raped.” (Open Wide Our Hearts, Pg. 11)
“As this country was forming, Africans were bought and sold as mere property, often beaten, raped, and literally worked to death.” (Open Wide Our Hearts, Pg. 13)
“The generational effects of slavery, segregation, and the systemic use of violence—including the lynching of more than 4,000 black men, women, and children across 800 different counties throughout the United States between 1877 and 1950 —are realities that must be fully recognized and addressed in any process that hopes to combat racism.” (Open Wide Our Hearts, Pg. 15)
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“…there have been over 550 documented cases of Hispanics being lynched, and experts estimate that the number could actually be twice as large.” (Open Wide Our Hearts, Pg. 16)
If we are to take “Open Wide Our Hearts” seriously, we cannot stay silent regarding the MAGA hat’s meaning and the harm it causes. President Donald Trump has consistently expressed racist remarks. He has especially targeted Muslims and outright asked to ban them from entering the country. He has separated Hispanic families at the border and made no apologies when he described Mexicans as “…bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” We must not forget the pivotal moment in Charlottesville when after two days of not commenting he declared that there “were very fine people on both sides.” One of the sides he was referring to were white supremacists. By wearing those hats, we are dressing ourselves in his racist rhetoric and promoting it.
Sadly, in the public statements issued by the Diocese of Covington (DOC), no mention is made of the large number of MAGA hats worn by young Catholics. The DOC has promised a full investigation, and I hope they take a hard look at the MAGA hats. However, I’m more alarmed that most Catholic adults have been publicly silent regarding the presence of MAGA hats. In conversations with fellow white Catholics, when I bring the MAGA hats up, they are in agreement that the hats had no place there, but said nothing. We must ask ourselves, why we have been silent. When we are silent, we commit sin by omission, which ultimately promotes racism. Most of the social media posts made by local Catholic organizations and individuals regarding the incident made no mention of the MAGA hats. They should apologize for this oversight and publicly recognize the racist symbolism of the MAGA hats.
One wonders if the young men were wearing these hats at the March for Life. If so, this sends a conflicting message as the bishops “unequivocally state that racism is a life issue” (Open Wide Our Hearts, Pg.30). Catholics can’t fight for the lives of the unborn, while donning a racist symbol that dehumanizes the living. I applaud the courage and words of Bishop John Stowe of the Diocese of Lexington who wrote “…it astonishes me that any students participating in a pro-life activity on behalf of their school and their Catholic faith could be wearing apparel sporting the slogans of a president who denigrates the lives of immigrants, refugees and people from countries that he describes with indecent words and haphazardly endangers with life-threatening policies.”
I pray that all Catholics read, study and discuss the U.S. Bishop’s pastoral letter against racism. I look forward to, and pray for, the successful implementation of “Open Wide Our Hearts” in the Diocese of Rochester, and across the nation. Considering our almost collective silence, the timing is right for such a letter. I also pray this letter only be one of many tools in overcoming the sin of racism in our hearts, our Church, our society and all the structures that have consistently failed people of Color.
For the past two years, the community of St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality has been struggling to honestly combat the racism in our hearts and within the structure of St. Joe’s. Eradicating racism under our roof is proving to be hard work. I’ve learned that removing racism from my heart is an ongoing process that takes more than just reading documents. I am fortunate to live in a diverse community that has the patience and the love to work with me, even when I’ve said or done something racist. Thank you to my sisters and brothers at St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality, and a special thanks to Jasmin, Joya, Richmond, José, Tahri, James A, Phil, Bienvenu, and Todd. You have all taught me very much, and I have much more to learn. Peace.