Several leading Catholic theologians, academics and activists have signed onto a petition calling on Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez to apologize for his Nov. 4 speech in which he denigrated social justice movements as “pseudo-religions.”
The petition, which has garnered the signatures of more than 9,000 Catholics and others, is the latest development in the fallout from Gomez’s controversial address to the Congress of Catholics and Public Life in Madrid.
In the speech, Gomez framed today’s social justice activism, including the anti-racist movement in the United States, as an angry Marxist-inspired, anti-Christian expression of a corrosive secularism being pushed by an “elite leadership class.”
“In fact, as they see it, religion, especially Christianity, only gets in the way of the society they hope to build,” said Gomez, who is also president of the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Gomez’s remarks angered leading Black Catholic theologians, academics and activists. Groups such as Pax Christi USA and the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests have released statements in recent days condemning the archbishop’s comments.
“Your speech was particularly painful and offensive to Black Catholic advocates in the United States who have organized for racial justice in the face of indifference and even hostility from many white Christians,” reads the new petition, which was released Nov. 12 and was organized by Faith in Public Life and Faithful America.
Fr. Bryan Massingale, a leading Fordham University theologian and author of Racial Justice and the Catholic Church signed the petition, as did Shannen Dee Williams, a history professor at the University of Dayton who is a leading scholar of Black Catholic history in the United States.
Other notable signees include Miguel Diaz, the former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See who is now a theologian at Loyola University Chicago; Kathleen Dorsey Bellow, director of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana, Patricia McGuire, President of Trinity Washington University; and Fr. Clete Kiley, chaplain for the Chicago Federation of Labor and board member of the Catholic Labor Network.
Full story at National Catholic Reporter.
Any petition to show support for His Excellency?
OMG now religion has become politicized and racialized and gayicized. The usual suspects are to blame. They are just proving Gomez right in that their religion is not Catholicism. It’s some form of modern woke racial, left-wing political, gay liberation theology that they worship. They don’t worship a golden calf, but they worship a black calf, a latinx calf, a rainbow calf and a donkey.
“Gomez asked to apologize after calling social justice movements ‘pseudo-religions’?
Never apoligize for telling the truth or for something you never did.
“…9,000 people didn’t like…”
Who cares?
Gomez got a standing ovation from the USCCB bishops at the meeting today. So there. Take that.
This backlash against Abp. Gomez’ very excellent and truthful speech in Madrid, is so irrational, babyish, and stupid! Actually, the secular “social justice movement,” which the post-Conciliar Church got heavily involved in, was Godless, worldly, and Man-centered– and socialist!– from the beginning, in the 1960s– with many dangerous, Godless, immoral misfits and their “causes!” It was a huge mistake for the Catholic Church to align with these radical, misguided, non-Catholic misfits, focusing on mere worldly, and radical, non-Christian concepts of “social justice!” The Christian’s life must always be centered firmly on Christ, prayer, the Mass and Sacraments, and religious teachings! And if you are going to help the disadvantaged– don’t “forget” to teach them all about Jesus Christ, and our Catholic Faith! Jesus is there to comfort suffering people, uplift their hearts, give them hope– and save souls! And it is Christ that can provide for our needs, and bring about the downfall of all Evils– Chirst Alone can do that!
The revolution devours its own children. Fun times.
For many decades, the Godless “social justice movement” has been heading straight towards a worldwide Marxist, or Communist ideology, in which a false “justice” (vengeance!) is given to those “misfits” who wish to live extremely corrupt, immoral, radical, and violent lives, ignorantly destroying culture, religion and morality, ending up as a massive, Third World-style, beastly, ignorant, primitive, anarchic, chaotic, corrupt, dirty, Godless mess, ruled by atheist, ignorant, radical tyrants, worse than Hell-on-earth!
Black Catholic and Protestant leaders need to return to Christ. They have a very good example to follow, in Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
And thus it happens that the prophets are yet stoned again, A fair interpretation of the Archbishop’s words would be that there are elements of the social justice movement that are decidedly anti-Christian, and I would offer the BLM (original) creed as an example. It is a direct attack on the family, at least as conceived by God. I think of Lipinski’s characterization of sectarian political culture as destroying communication in this country and for me this is just such an example. The signatories should rather ask themselves to what degree is their political advocacy a diversion from the faith rather than a true expression of it. I hope Abp. Gomez will stand his ground and choose this as an opportunity to shed further light on the presuppositions guiding social justice advocacy, for if they are not Christian, they will do more harm than good.
Thank you for linking to the entire talk. (Gomez’ controversial address in blue). It contains this explanation:
You have asked me to address a serious, sensitive, and complicated topic — the rise of new secular ideologies and movements for social change in the United States and the implications for the Church.
Well…these “leading Catholic academics, theologians and activists (I haven’t heard of a single one of them)” seemed to have demonstrated his point for him pretty well.
BTW, I doubt they are “leading” because everyone is buying their books….
Many wanted Jesus to take back what He said in John 6, claiming to be the Bread of Life. St. John the Baptist was killed for publicly speaking out about the sexual sin of a political leader, even calling him by name. The truth is not based on poll numbers. Catholic social teaching is Christian, not Marxist. A lot of it arose in response to the rise of godless Communism beginning in the 19th century. “He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
We need a petition supporting Bishop Gomez.
if they are so offended at being called “psedo-religions”, I can only infer that they, in fact, do consider themselves to be religions.
On the bright side, we see what a teeming, swarming freak show the Catholic Left really is.
Still, I’m betting he grovels. They usually do.
Not a fan of Gomez, but don’t cave in to the Marxist-Leninist’s once you apologize to the woke mob they own you lock, stock and barrel.
Like sharks that smell blood
well….. for this he will never make cardinal
in this case, he witnessed to the truth at
substantial cost to himself
The article that explains why people are upset.
https://www.ncronline.org/news/justice/black-catholics-respond-dismay-gomez-calls-protests-pseudo-religions
In the archbishop’s defense, I doubt that he was referring to Catholics.
But it was very unclear who he was referring to.
His analysis of whatever he was talking about as “Psuedo-religions” did not make sense to me at all.
I understand that he was given an difficult and inflammatory topic and his conclusion to preach Christ is always right.
Archbishop Gomez. Never ever ever apologize for speaking truth. In fact do more of it please.