CARJ Trustee Responds to Synod Synthesis
With much anticipation, I waited to read the Synod Synthesis published by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) at the end of June 2022. The document delicately lit up the opportunities in front of us and in general, did not shy away from the mistakes made in our name. Recognition of marginalised groups, limited participation in the process by Catholics and the frequent failure to reach out to our non-Catholic sisters and brothers could not deflate me. Just the opposite; this honest, compassionate recognition, gave me much joy to read. The document’s transparency around exclusion offered hope that in the long term, this synodal journey might reduce polarisation and potentially lead to increased inclusion. I was joyfully taken aback and reenergised by the thoughtful and sensitive synthesis. Added to this, the recent Reflection by the Bishops of England and Wales related to the Synod, included a mention of the absent voice of ethnic communities in synodal conversations. This recognition was gratefully valued.
It therefore seemed strange that a single sentence related to ‘people of colour’ could leave some of us in CARJ (The Catholic Association for Racial Justice) in so much confusion, hurt and pain.
The assumption that ‘the issue of exclusion of people of colour seldom appears in the diocesan reports’ because of ‘cities with large diverse communities reflected in parish communities’ made us literally lost for words. Was this a denial of racism or perhaps evidence of a failure to understand how structural racism can so easily exclude the voices of colour? What was the intention of this sentence? It has taken us a long month to process the shock, sadness and feelings of frustration felt by us. Memories of personal experiences related to racism within the Church and its organisations flooded back. Prayer, discussion, anger and frustration from allies (including the recent publication of an article by Maggie Beirne in the ICN) forced us to speak up.
While there are likely to have been a number of racially inclusive synodal conversations, CARJ has had feedback that in a number of parishes, the voices of people of colour were missing. Is this because some feel like guests rather than equal members of their parish families? Is it because some were not invited, feel disempowered or unsafe speaking up? Has the CBCEW mistakenly equated silence or smaller numbers with happiness rather than recognising potential disempowerment and exclusion? It is impossible to know. What can be understood, is that there was significant divergence from CARJ’s own synodal discussions.
The conclusion by the Bishops’ Conference does not reflect the experiences of our secular society, the plethora of research into and reports by corporations, charities, the police force, health care, the Ministry of Justice or of the Church of England.
Implying that racial injustice doesn’t exist because we have ethnically diverse cities makes little sense. By the same conjecture, one could falsely assume that women face no issues of exclusion within the Church as they represent the majority of the laity. The truth is that concerns about racism within the Church have often been raised over the years and requests for help from CARJ have increased in recent years.
While the recognition in the synthesis may help other marginalised groups continue their initial steps towards compassion and mutual understanding, it feels like the theme of racism has been excluded from the journey. When our Catholic communities have become more diverse than ever before, shouldn’t the experiences of those people of colour at the forefront of seeking integration, be part of the vanguard?
For more information, please see CARJ’s Official Statement in response to the Synodal Synthesis, which has been shared with Catholic Networks and is available on their website.
CARJ Official Statement in response to the National Synthesis Document for the Synod.
The Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ) have mixed emotions following the recent publication of the National Synthesis Document by the CBCEW. We were pleased to note the mention of a number of marginalised groups that exist within the Catholic Church in England and Wales. We also appreciated the recent Reflection by the Bishops of England and Wales, which included an acknowledgement of the absent but distinctive voice of different ethnic communities as part of the synodal process. Overall, the Synodal National Synthesis Document provided much honesty and sensitivity, skilfully integrating the experiences and feelings of many parishes and a number of Catholic groups. We were particularly delighted that the Traveller community were mentioned as their concerns have been a prioritised focus for CARJ for many years. With faithful hope, we look forward to greater awareness and solidarity with our Travellersisters and brothers.
However, CARJ was saddened to read the paragraph dedicated to ‘People of colour’. The opening sentence’s assumption that ‘the issue of exclusion of people of colour seldom appears in the diocesan reports’ because of ‘cities with large diverse communities reflected in parish communities’, is a questionable conclusion. On other issues, the document works hard to synthesise the comments made by participants, and yet in relation to racial justice, the denial/misunderstanding of racial injustice was not a view commonly claimed in diocesan synodal reports. The result is a disempowerment of many people of colour who experience racial injustice, whose voices are therefore not being adequately represented in this global discussion.
Certainly, the document has acknowledged that despite our rich diversity, black and brown people do not have an adequate seat at the table within the Catholic Church of England and Wales (and perhaps more widely). This recognition should be celebrated as an initial step on the journey towards racial justice, yet a false belief within the Church contradicts this point and invalidates the courageous concerns that have been raised. The document ignores the many ethnic minorities and especially black families and young adults who tragically leave the Church because they feel more welcome in other denominations. The document has surprised CARJ and upset some, making us wonder whether the synodal process has failed to enable the voice of people of colour to be fully heard. Our hope is that the Church would lead on the journey to racial justice. Perhaps a paradigm shift is needed?
The Holy Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak in diverse languages, opening the door for everyone to listen and be heard. Therefore, despite the absence within the synodal discussions of the theme of racism,CARJ will continue to champion the voice of the Holy Spirit within the black and brown, often disempowered but global majority of our Catholic Church.
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