On the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Rev. Eamon Tobin of Ascension Catholic Church in Melbourne, Florida, spoke of the challenges Catholics face when it comes to racism.

Fr. Tobin referred frequently to the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) document entitled “Open Wide Our Hearts – the enduring call to love, a pastoral letter against racism” in his homily. The first step to ending racism is to recognize it, Tobin said.

“Despite many promising strides made in our country, racism still infects our nation,” Tobin began, quoting the pastoral letter.

Fr. Eamon Tobin | Ascension Catholic Church

Priests are often criticized for speaking on political topics, Tobin said, but racism is right to life issue as he sees it. 

“For the Church or a homilist to be silent on these matters would be a grave mistake," Tobin said. "It is the Church’s right and duty to speak out on Gospel issues — or moral issues."

Tobin defined racism for the congregation. 

“Racism arises when we consciously or unconsciously hold some people as inferior to us," he said. "And even though we usually link racism to African Americans, it also applies to Hispanics, Native Americans and all minorities.” 

Tobin was born in Ireland, where his father was a farmer. He said that racism can even occur among people of the same ethnic group. 

In Ireland, he said, “cottage people” or farmhands were considered inferior to other Irish. 

“We were racists without knowing it,” Tobin said. 

The family considered the farmhand to be inferior, he said, adding that a farmhand would never socialize or presume to marry the child of a farmer. 

Tobin said that many of us grew up with mistaken notions that can be called racist. He referred again to the Bishops' pastoral letter. 

“Racism can often be found in our hearts — in many cases placed there unwillingly or unknowingly by our upbringing and culture.”

Tobin reminded the congregation that the Bishops' pastoral letter condemned all forms of racism as sin. He asked his congregation to go on the internet and read the pastoral letter, and also asked them to reflect on the instances of racism in the world today.

“Every racist act — every such comment, every joke, every disparaging look as a reaction to the color of skin, ethnicity or place of origin — is a failure to acknowledge another person as a brother or sister, created in the image of God," Tobin quoted from the letter. "In these and in many other such acts, the sin of racism persists in our lives, in our country and in our world."

Tobin posed some questions for people to think about:

Do you believe minorities in our nation have the same opportunities as white people?

Do you believe racism is a real issue that needs to be addressed?

Have you ever been guilty of racist remarks, jokes, attitudes or behaviors?

He also urged the congregation to consider how racism still thrives in the world today. 

“Most of us may be still blind to the racist tendencies that may exist within us,” he said.