Column Segregation in Catholic intellectual life
By DEMETRIA MARTINEZ
It was a slip-up that happened at
the right place and the right time, a sign of the times that in
provoking a frank discussion, might well turn out to be a blessing.
The Catholic Commission on Intellectual and Cultural Affairs
planned a conference titled: The Future of Catholic Intellectual
Life (NCR, Nov. 5). Organizers drew up a list of the usual
suspects to speak at the College of the Holy Cross Nov.12-14. Speakers included
such luminaries as Fr. J. Bryan Hehir, dean of Harvard Divinity School, and
Monika Hellwig, executive director of the Association of Catholic Colleges and
Universities.
There was only one problem: No one thought to invite people of
color.
Outrage ensued. Sixto Garcia, president of the Academy of Catholic
Hispanic Theologians of the United States, decried the intellectual
bigotry prevalent in church circles.
Many whites would appear to assume that Latinos lack the
intellectual, cultural or genetic makeup to discuss thinkers such as Martin
Heidegger, Karl Rahner, Maurice Blondel and others, Garcia told
NCR. Diana Hayes, African-American professor at Georgetown University,
observed that the program suggested that only Caucasians could speak
about Catholic intellectual life.
Ive no doubt that the organizers of the Holy Cross
conference had good intentions. So do the organizers of a lot of church
conferences, where concerns close to the hearts of many a Catholic liberal are
hammered out -- but often with little input from non-whites.
So what goes wrong? Why a segregated intellectual life in an
astonishingly multicultural church?
First and foremost is the habit of white intellectuals to
barrioize their Latina and Latino counterparts. (Im using the
example of Latinos here, although most of what I say applies to other groups as
well.) Certainly Latinos bring expertise to topics related to Latino life. But
as public intellectuals, our interests are necessarily broad.
The specific scholarly pursuits of Latinos, furthermore, are as
varied as those of whites. We have as much to say about celibacy and the
priesthood, ecology, the just war theory and the rise of Islam as non-Latino
experts in these fields. Limiting our participation to the Hispanic
Issues panel (if there is one) of a conference makes no sense whatsoever.
What else goes wrong?
For one thing, many organizations wait until the last minute to
attempt to pull off cultural diversity. Hence, the woes of finding
qualified speakers. In fact, such woes will decrease as the size of an
organizers Rolodex increases. And that should be happening
year-round.
Change requires, for starters, getting on the phone and talking
with members of groups such as the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians.
Contacting Catholic Latino organizations will yield up a roster of potential
speakers. Its a matter of being proactive, finding out whos who and
building a network.
A failure by many white leaders to keep abreast of the work of
Latina and Latino theologians has also given rise to patterns of exclusion. Any
gathering purporting to deal with the future of the church must have a focus on
trends in Latino theology, especially Latina Catholic feminism.
A class analysis and interpretations of popular spirituality have
been central to the work of these theologians. It would be a tragedy if their
ideas remained confined to Latino circles because other Catholic intellectuals
failed to do their homework.
It might be useful to understand how Latino intellectuals perceive
their relationship to their communities. It is almost a religion among Latinos
that if you have the advantage of higher education, then you are expected to
give something back to your people.
As a result, many Latinos act as bridge people,
translating the concerns of Juan and Juana Doe for higher-ups in
church, government and academia. Too, they translate in the other direction,
serving the community by giving people access to information and ideas.
This sense of obligation, for Chicana and Chicano intellectuals,
has deep historical roots, some going back to Aztec philosophical traditions.
What has evolved in our culture is a distinction between someone who merely
collects academic degrees vs. someone who is bien educado and
well-spoken, that is, someone who can act as a spokesperson for the
community.
Ive seen countless nuns, priests and activists assume such a
role: Latinos who are spending or have spent years in academic settings as
students and professors. And I cant begin to count the times such
individuals have told me of their dismay at the segregation that exists within
too many Catholic intellectual and activist circles.
Unfortunately, many progressives call for integration in the name
of sensitivity to so-called minority concerns. This is not about
sensitivity. This is about justice. Latinos comprise close to 40 percent of the
church.
The entire church stands to benefit from the dialogue precipitated
by the conference that discussed The Future of Catholic Intellectual
Life. That is, if we pay attention -- and act.
Demetria Martinez lives in Tucson, Ariz.
National Catholic Reporter, December 3,
1999
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