The Call of God to His People

Editorial Note: This is the second of a two-part series of reflections on the gifts of Black Catholics by Deacon Alfred Adams, Director of the Office of Black Catholics of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

The historical roots of the Black America are intimately intertwined with those of Catholic America. As Black American and Black Catholic it is time for us to reclaim our roots and to shoulder the responsibilities of being both Black and Catholic. This responsibility is to our own people whom we owe the witness to our faith in Christ, to his Church and to our Church we owe our witness of faith, as well as denouncing racism as a sin while fighting for justice and inner renewal.

· Black Initiative: We now have a solemn responsibility to lead the Church’s work within the Black community. We must counter the assumption that to become Catholic is to abandon one’s racial heritage and one’s people. The Catholic is not a “White Church.” It is universal and, hence, Catholic. The Black presence in the American Catholic Church is a precious witness to the universal character of Catholicism.

The Catholic Church, however, must preserve its multi-cultural identity. In this country it must reflect the richness of African American history and its heritage. This is our gift to the Church in the United States.

· Authorization and Encouragement: We must encourage Black leaders in the American Church; clergy, religious and laypeople. Unhappily, we must acknowledge that the major hindrance to the full development of Black leadership within the Church is still racism. Blacks and other minorities are meagerly represented on the decision-making level. Inner-city schools are disappearing and vocational recruitment lacks support. This subtle racism still festers within our Church as it does in society. Some progress has been made, but much remains to do. This stain of racism, which is so alien to the Spirit of Christ, is an opportunity to work for renewal through evangelization.

· Opportunity for Evangelization: Many opportunities exist for evangelization within the Black community. Parents, teachers, and educators must encourage our young men and women to follow Christ in the priesthood and in the consecrated life. And after entering seminaries or novitiates we must help those students maintain contact with their Black communities by renewing contact with Black culture, history and theology.

Every effort should be made to recruit qualified candidates for the office of deacon from our Black parishes. Many permanent deacons continue to pursue their occupation in the work place and this gives them opportunities for evangelization where a priest or religious might find entry difficult.

Our youth should be taught they have an opportunity to evangelize their peers. In our urban areas despair, desires, drugs, and poverty entrap our youth. Adults and mature youths dedicated to Christ are needed as counselors. We can institute youth programs such as retreats, camps and recreational facilities.

The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adult (RCIA) could be a powerful instrument of evangelization if adapted to the life and culture of Blacks.

The Catholic school system offers an opportunity for quality education and character development, as well as a sign of stability in an environment of chaos and flux. Catholic schools in our neighborhoods should be a concern of the entire Black community.

· Liturgy: The celebration of the Sacred Mysteries is that moment when the Church is fully actualized and most clearly revealed. In the African American tradition communal worship has always been an experience of God’s power and love. From the standpoint of evangelization, the liturgy of the Catholic Church has always drawn the Black community to the faith. Many years ago talented Black experts have adapted the liturgy to the needs of the African American community without compromising the essential qualities of the liturgical celebration. The Mystery of Christ transcends all culture; the way the Mystery is expressed is mediated by culture and tradition. In this way we can speak of African American style in music, preaching, bodily expression, vestment, and tempo. There is a splendid opportunity for the vest richness of African American culture to be expressed in our Catholic liturgy.

· The Social Apostolate: Finally, the causes of justice and social concern are an essential part of evangelization. To preach to the powerful without denouncing oppression is to trivialize the Gospel. As Black people we must have concern for those who hunger and thirst for justice throughout the world. We must not ignore those whom others tend to forget, and even contribute our efforts and money. When we share our talents and our possessions with the forgotten ones of this world, we share Christ. This is the essence of evangelization itself.