Bishops' Mass marks 25th anniversary of pastoral letter on racism

Published: 2004-11-16

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In a liturgy dominated by African-American themes and voices, the U.S. bishops marked the 25th anniversary of their pastoral letter on racism with a prayer that God would end "any blindness that comes from sinful, misguided and hardened hearts." Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville, Ill., who was completing a three-year term as the first African-American to be president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, was principal celebrant and homilist at the Nov. 15 evening Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. In his homily, Bishop Gregory called the 1979 pastoral letter, "Brothers and Sisters to Us," a "landmark statement that still challenges us today." The Mass, which closed the first day of the fall general meeting of the USCCB, was marred by small protests by supporters of homosexual rights and an opponent of the war in Iraq. Bishop Gregory focused his homily on the Gospel reading from Luke about Jesus' healing of the blind man near Jericho. "What is racism if not fundamentally a blindness?" he asked. "It is a blinding shadow so dark and damaging that it keeps us from seeing Jesus in others."

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