The Church’s History of Racism
There is a long history of racism within the Catholic Church in the United States. As Alessandra Harris notes, the Church’s growth in the 18th and 19th centuries was built on the labor of enslaved Black people. Jesuit priests and other Catholic institutions owned and sold enslaved people, using the profits to fund churches, schools, and universities. The infamous sale of 272 enslaved individuals by the Jesuits of Georgetown University in 1838 is a stark reminder of this shameful legacy (Harris).
“The Catholic Church in the United States, primarily a white racist institution, has addressed itself primarily to white society and is definitely a part of that society.” (National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, 1968)
Even after the abolition of slavery, the Church continued to perpetuate racial inequality. During the Jim Crow era, Catholic institutions practiced segregation, denying Black Catholics access to churches, schools, and universities. Joseph Anciaux, a Belgian priest, documented the “miserable condition” of Black Catholics in America in 1903, describing their relegation to church galleries and side aisles and their exclusion from Catholic education (Harris). This systemic racism led the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus to declare in 1968 that the Catholic Church in the United States was “primarily a white racist institution” (Harris).
Between Conscience and Caution: Conflicting Responses to Racism
By 1968, the civil rights movement had achieved significant victories, including the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, the struggle for racial justice was far from over. Black Americans continued to face systemic discrimination, police brutality, and economic inequality. Within the Catholic Church, Black Catholics were growing increasingly frustrated with the institution’s reluctance to take a strong stand against racism.
The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, formed in 1968, was a response to this frustration. Composed of Black priests, brothers, and seminarians, the Caucus sought to address the Church’s failure to fully embrace the cause of racial justice. Their statement was a bold critique of the Church’s history and its ongoing complicity in white supremacy.
While some bishops, like Archbishop Joseph Ritter of St. Louis and Archbishop Patrick O’Boyle of Washington, D.C., took bold steps to desegregate Catholic schools and parishes in the 1940s and 1950s, they often faced fierce resistance from white Catholics. In New Orleans, Archbishop Joseph Rummell’s efforts to desegregate parishes and schools were met with widespread opposition, including legal challenges and public defiance (Hite, pp. 46-47). Below, a letter from Archbishop Ritter in 1947 condemning and threatening excommunication for those within his Archdiocese who do not follow his desegregation policy. (Courtesy of the Carondelet Consolidated Archives)
Even as the civil rights movement gained momentum in the 1960s, many Catholic leaders remained hesitant to take a strong stand against racism. Archbishop Thomas Toolen’s stance on the Selma protests highlights the contradictions within the Catholic Church during the civil rights era. Toolen believed that segregation was morally wrong and had quietly worked to improve the material and spiritual conditions of black Catholics in his diocese. However, he also held deeply ingrained stereotypes about African Americans and feared the financial repercussions of supporting the civil rights movement. In a letter to Archbishop Vagnozzi, Toolen expressed his concerns about the “obligations and responsibilities” of African Americans, suggesting that they were not yet ready for full equality (Hite, pp. 379-380).
Archbishop Toolen’s ambivalence reflects the broader tension within the Catholic Church during the civil rights era—a struggle between its moral teachings and the socio-political realities of the time. While some clergy and religious leaders were willing to risk their reputations and livelihoods to stand in solidarity with the marginalized, others, like Toolen, were constrained by fear of backlash and a desire to maintain the status quo. Archbishop Toolen explicitly forbade clergy within his diocese from participating in the civil rights marches, citing concerns for their safety. In a letter to the Sisters of St. Joseph—written after the March 10 demonstration but before the larger march to Mobile—he firmly instructed them not to participate.
Many people who wanted to help with the Civil Rights Movement and support those involved could only do so behind the scenes. Among them was Sister Josepha Twomey, who struggled with the restrictions placed on her and the other Sisters. In the following clip, she describes the difficulty of being unable to march and the emotional toll it took on her.
Sister Josepha explains the internal conflict she felt, and many others felt during this time. While they were called to act on their faith and stand for justice, external constraints often made it difficult to do so.
The Relevance Today
The Catholic Church in the United States continues to confront its historical legacy of racism, a reality that remains deeply relevant in today’s social and cultural landscape. The Church’s role in addressing racial justice has been a source of both inspiration and tension, reflecting broader societal struggles with inequality and division. While the Church has long championed the principles of compassion, solidarity, and a preferential option for the poor and marginalized, there remains a discernible gap between these teachings and the lived experiences of many within its communities.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has faced criticism for its perceived hesitancy to address systemic racism and its historical ties to structures of inequality. Scholars such as Robert P. Jones, in White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity, have highlighted how white Catholics have often benefited from societal privileges tied to race, sometimes at the expense of marginalized communities. This historical alignment has contributed to ongoing challenges in the Church’s efforts to fully embody the Gospel’s call for justice and equality.
The late Pope Francis had urged Catholics to stand in solidarity with the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed. His messages emphasize the need for the Church to be a voice for change. In a nation shaped by the labor of enslaved people and immigrants, his calls carry profound significance. For the Catholic Church in the United States to fully live out its mission, it must reckon with its history of racial injustice and commit to the ongoing work of reconciliation and healing. This requires not only listening to the voices of Black Catholics and other marginalized groups but also taking concrete steps to address systemic inequities.
The Church’s involvement in the Selma protests and the broader civil rights movement serves as a powerful reminder of faith’s potential to inspire courage and action. The witness of Catholic nuns, clergy, and laypeople who marched in Selma is a historical moment and a challenge to all believers. Their example calls on us to live out our faith with integrity, to advocate for the voiceless, and to work toward a world marked by greater justice, compassion, and unity. By embracing the Gospel’s call to love and justice, the Catholic Church can renew its commitment to fighting against inequality and division.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet remind us that our work is rooted in the Gospel call to social justice and the struggle to be prophetic signs of unity in our world.
“Whatever we do to bring about the unity of neighbor with neighbor is our work of justice.” – CSJ
To learn more about the ongoing work for justice and unity, visit the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Justice Page. Their commitment to social justice serves as an inspiring example of how faith can be lived out in service to the marginalized and in pursuit of a more equitable world.
Sources:
Hite, Gregory Nelson. “The Hottest Places in Hell: The Catholic Church and Civil Rights.” University of Virginia, 2002. https://doi.org/10.18130/V30R99.
Harris, Alessandra. 2025. “The Catholic Church Has Played a Shameful Role in Black American History.” Text. National Catholic Reporter. National Catholic Reporter. Accessed March 4, 2025. https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/catholic-church-has-played-shameful-role-black-american-history.
Jones, Robert P. 2020. White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity. Illustrated edition. New York: Simon & Schuster.
“Justice.” 2025. March 2025. https://www.csjsl.org/justice.
Leave a Reply