USCCB's Pastoral Letter on Racism - Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love

This past November, the USCCB approved a new pastoral letter against racism called “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love.”

The letter asks us to recall that we are all brothers and sisters, all equally made in the image of God. Because we all bear the image of God, racism is, above all, a moral and theological problem that manifests itself institutionally and systematically. Only a deep individual conversion of heart, which then multiplies, will compel change and reform in our institutions and society. It is imperative to confront racism’s root causes and the injustice it produces. The love of God binds us together. This same love should overflow into our relationships with all people. The conversions needed to overcome racism require a deep encounter with the living God in the person of Christ who can heal all division.

We encourage you to become familiar with and share its message. The full text is available in English and Spanish at theUSCCB website: 

This pastoral letter is not the first time the U.S. Bishops have spoken collectively on race issues in the United States; their last pastoral letter on the topic was written in 1979 and entitled "Brothers and Sisters to Us: A Pastoral Letter on Racism in Our Day."