the people, places and circumstances that constitute our

Hispanics and Native Americans are disproportionately

ordinary daily life.

poor.  Despite measurable progress during the last 20

This belief places upon us the mission to transform all

years, people of color still must negotiate subtle obstacles

relationships into instances of love and justice. Our love

and overcome covert barriers in their pursuit of

of God, expressed in prayer, pilgrimages and other acts of

employment and/or advancement.  

devotion, must be made visible in our practice of the love

 Church teaching on economic justice insists that

of neighbor, expressed by establishing patterns of right

economic decisions and institutions be judged on whether

relationships in our daily lives, in our work and everyday

they protect or undermine the dignity of the human

encounters. Loving and just relationships are the

person. We support policies that create jobs with adequate

manifestation of our communion with God.

pay and decent working conditions, increase the

Ethnic, cultural, and racial diversities are gifts from

minimum wage so it becomes a living wage, and

God to the human race. In Jesus, we are called to a radical

overcome barriers to equal pay and employment for

love to love of the stranger as our neighbor (Luke

women and minorities. 

10:25 37). Others may be different from us in every

respect except one: each man, woman, or child we

Supporting Culturally Diverse Social Institutions

encounter is also a child of God, a brother or sister in the

Social institutions in a culturally diverse nation benefit

Lord, whom we should welcome as our neighbor. The

from the sharing of the values and skills honed in the

stranger whom we encounter is really our neighbor in

various communities of peoples who populate it. In the

Christ. Through communion with our neighbors who are

global context in which we live today, the ability to live

racially and culturally distinct from ourselves, we begin to

and work in a culturally diverse environment equips us to

live as a community the unity in diversity that is the life

work toward universal peace and justice. Our efforts to

of the Triune God. We can learn to live, work and pray in

encourage judicial and political systems, social and

solidarity with the stranger now recognized as our

professional organizations, health care facilities, educational

neighbor.

institutions, labor unions, small and large businesses,

major corporations, the professions, sports teams and the

Inclusive Communities: Living with Our Neighbor

arts to be welcoming will be more credible when the

Our neighborhood is the first place we encounter those

Church truly becomes a model of what she advocates.

with whom we are to dwell in love. A just neighborhood

Our desire as disciples of Jesus is to support people of

must be open to all people black and white, Hispanic

every race and ethnic group in enjoying their human

and Asian, young and old, wealthy and poor, Christians

rights and freedom. We are called to promote love, justice

and people of all faiths. Access to housing in particular

and what Pope John Paul II has called a  culture of life. 

needs to be fair and open. In a society that is still

Until all are free to live anywhere in the Chicago

structurally racist, open housing cannot be taken for

metropolitan area without fear of reprisal or violence,

granted; it must be achieved.

none of us is completely free. The administration of

We confront racist patterns in housing sales and rental

justice and the institutions of our civic life must be

markets through programs that help establish and

marked by respect for all. These desires shape the goals of

maintain diversity throughout a community. To be

the Church as she works for social and economic justice

successful, such programs require collaboration among

and promotes life.

neighboring communities, towns and villages throughout

the Chicago metropolitan area. The goals are clear.

B. DWELLING WITH GOD IN HIS

Neighborhoods must be safe and free of discrimination

CHURCH

and hate crimes; schools must provide a good education

By baptism in Christ, we have been graced and called into

for all students; transportation must be accessible. The

the community, which is his Body. The members of the

means to reach the goals involve cooperating across racial

early Church gathered in the name of Jesus to worship his

and cultural divisions.

Father and to continue the mission Jesus left them. Today,

as that same Church, we too gather in the name of Jesus

Economic Justice: Working with Our Neighbor

and commit ourselves to his mission. Through the

Although the phenomenon of racism can exist

sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and

independent of economic factors, it is bound up with

Confirmation), we are given the grace to live in union

entrenched poverty, which persists despite our national

with God and our neighbor as we follow the way and

affluence. Most poor people are still white; but blacks,

mission of Jesus.

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DENOUNCING RACISM