Racism and the Church

The Australian Human Rights Commission has published a survey as part of the National Anti-Racism Strategy. Racism is very much alive in Australia according to a report and readers' comments in the Herald Sun a few months ago.

Equally alarming for followers of this blog is this quote from an article by a recipient of the Multicultural Community Service award in WA, Nick Agocs
Yes, there are racists in Australia! A close examination of our conscience and attitudes we will find that we all have "racist" views to some extent. But it is very disturbing for a cleric to claim that Australian parishes are racist while at the same time refusing to recognise the "institutionaled racism"that  exists within the structure of the Catholic Church in Australia.

Nick Agocs  was replying to a featured blogpost in CathNews in which Fr Maurizio Pettena CS stated:
The harm we do in showing frankly racist attitudes toward those who have come here in generosity is extremely upsetting. We can take a more positive role in helping these migrant priests to get used to Australian culture, but instead, we simply criticise them for being “ignorant, tribal or patriarchal.” 

Next year we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of a landmark statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops, A Generous Heart in the Love of Christ Challenging Racism in Australia Today. I wonder if this document is still on the shelves or among online bookmarks as essential reading for Catholics? I wonder if the Victorian Bishops who ploughed their combined resources into the Palm Sunday campaign against same sex marriage will match that campaign by encouraging their constituents to respond to this survey?

Will you ask your Diocese, parish,school community and friends to take Racism seriously?

http://www.humanrights.gov.au/antiracism/survey.html