Yesterday, Bishop Barron, on a personal FB account, replied to an article posted by a Catholic Deacon. The article is by Black Catholic in the *Black Catholic Messenger.* +Barron said that the author needs to wake up, called CRT repugnant, and accused the deacon of calumny.
Bishop Barron also asserted that "everyone hates racism and wants to address it" and noted that he had recently had dinner with another Black Catholic. An hour later, he posted photos of this dinner on this official social media accounts.
This really happened. There was some question as to the verifiability of the account which was investigated by many, including direct requests for clarification from +Barron and Word on Fire. None of this falsified the exchange and, to my knowledge, +Barron has not responded.
Until this moment, Barron has enjoyed the benefit of the doubt and charity from many well-intended and good faith actors. A few of us have, have also experienced understandable caution and correction from many defenders of +Barron. Yesterday changes this situation.
+Barron is a very powerful clergyman in the Church, perhaps the most visibly prominent figure in the English-speaking world due to his longstanding engagement in digital media. Many respect and love him for well-earned reasons and, to be honest, many do not wish to cross him.
+Barron is not the sum of Word on Fire, although they often present themselves that way. We should see that the real issue here is with Bishop Barron and it is not primarily about CRT or wokeness. He made a public mistake. It is understandable but he needs to take responsibility.
If I am wrong about this personal mistake made in public or about the wider concerns related to CRT or wokeness, then, Barron owes many of us (above all the author of the article and the deacon) some kind of explanation and reasons. He is not above this. He is not a king.
There are other things I can add to this account, but for now, I will link the article and the Facebook thread to follow.
One more thing: I read every last word of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury and McCarrick Reports, before that I watched Maciel and Corapi in horror; just this weekend, I read about Kamloops and the 215 precious children. Giving Bishops free passes for any reason is NOT acceptable
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