Racism is a formation issue. Catholics who are racists are evidence of a failure of catechetical formation.

Why is racism a formation issue? Because, by virtue of our baptism, we enter into the family of God. We are charged with loving our fellow human beings as part of this entrance into the family of God. And, over our life, we are called to grow in response to our baptismal call.

Part of growing more deeply into a response of our baptismal call is engaging our own formation: the process of holistically transforming our entire person into conformity with Christ.

The Christian life is one of ongoing conversion. Formation, both a human and divine project, is what allows us to keep walking the path of conversion in response to the Holy Spirit, our ultimate formator.

This ongoing conversion is not just spiritual, but one that also is intellectual, emotional, and physical. In other words, part of living of a life of ongoing conversion means engaging formation that includes learning, cultivating peace, and growing.

Conversion is not a spectator's sport, if you will. While we might have a St. Paul conversion moment in our life, we more often come to conversion through taking action and initiative as a response to an inner invitation by the Holy Spirit.

Learning about individual and systemic racism is part of the process of conversion that helps us be transformed and conformed to the Person of Christ through a relationship of love, justice, mercy, and empathy to all the family of God, especially the marginalized.

In Pastores Dabo Vobis, JPII speaks about an aspect of formation as cultivating the "human personality in such a way that it becomes a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the Redeemer of humanity." (43)

Both in response to our primary baptismal call and in an effort to deepen that call through living a life of ongoing conversion, Catholics must take initiative in engaging the work of formation so as to be a bridge for others to encounter Christ. Racism destroys this bridge.

Therefore, as Catholics, we are OBLIGATED to learn about racism and work actively to dismantle it individually and systematically. It is part of our baptismal call.