Racism is a huge issue in our world. Prejudices simply because of someone's skin color are rampant, and intolerance has led to violence and hatred. Racism was so intertwined in our culture and government, a massive, years-long movement was needed to only superficially squash it. But even today, remnants of the KKK and other hate organizations continue to do what they do best: hate.
The Catholic Church stands on the polar opposite of such hate organizations as the KKK. Theologically speaking, Catholics recognize the equality of all persons. We were all created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, we all have inviolable dignity. Superficial qualities such as skin color or ethnicity do not hinder this inherent attribute in the slightest. To the Catholic Church, and rightly so, there is no justification for racism.
Beyond such reasoning, the Church is all about love. Catholics believe Jesus/God is the epitome of love, and thus strive to be like Him. Jesus also commands us in his New Law of Love to love one another as He loves us, meaning love without limitation. Hate is not in the Church's vocabulary, and thus neither is racism.
This is an issue that has to make all Catholics proud. Now that the public has a negative consensus on racism and it is no longer a "controversial" issue, its easy to see that the Church had things right all along. When our country employed slave labor, the Church spoke out against it. When colored people had different rights than whites, the Church spoke out against it. And when the South segregated colored individuals from whites, the Church, rightly so, spoke out against it. Recognizing that the Church has always taken the right stance on an issue like racism makes me proud to be a Catholic.
It makes you wonder which other seemingly "controversial" topics the Church has taken hard stances on will be crystal-clear in the future...
-Shoe
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