Catholicism and Columbus Day
Activists have toppled prominent statues of Christopher Columbus in recent years, but indigneous people have been challenging the mythology of Columbus Day for decades. Columbus Day was created to serve a specific historical narrative, and Catholics played a key role in constructing that narrative. In 1934, the Knights of Columbus were instrumental in persuading Franklin Delano Roosevelt to make Columbus Day an official holiday.
Catholic myth-making around Columbus Day continues to this day. Every year, the Archdiocese of New York holds a bilingual English and Italian Columbus Day Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. At this year’s Mass, Cardinal Dolan said:
We gather to thank God for the bravery of Christopher Columbus. [...] He was an agent of Jesus in bringing the faith to the new world. So we thank God for him and we thank God for Italian culture, the magnificent contribution of the Italians to the fabric of American life, and if I might say so, to the Catholic family.
Claiming Columbus Day as a celebration of Catholicism and Italian-American identity is disturbing, but Columbus is part of the Catholic and Italian legacy in this country. This isn’t something to smooth over or deny. We need to deconstruct the mythology that the Knights of Columbus helped craft: Columbus is a violent figure in our history. We can simultaneously acknowledge that truth and find other ways to celebrate Italian-American history. We have the tools to do so, and bishops like Cardinal Dolan refuse to use those tools.
A group of Call To Action members has spent the past six months thinking about how our organization should respond to the graves of indigenous children recently discovered at Catholic residential schools. If you’d like to join conversations about how CTA can center indigenous people in our anti-racist work, you can get involved with our Anti-Racism Team.
Here are a few more ways CTA members can support contemporary indigenous struggles and communities:
Take direct action. CTA members have joined the fight against Line 3, a tar sands pipeline expansion project that violates the treaty rights of indigenous people in northern Minnesota. Despite the pipeline’s recent completion, activists continue to protest in Washington this week. Click here to learn about how to get involved.
Lobby religious leaders. Many Catholic leaders refuse to release residential school records that would help indigenous families learn the fates of their loved ones. Demand the release of school records and support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call on Pope Francis to apologize for the church’s role in the residential school system.
Redistribute resources. Research and tithe to groups that work on indigenous justice issues. Donate to groups that demand justice for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW) or fight for #LandBack, the movement to return lands to indigenous stewardship.
Take local action. CTA Chicago members recently wrote land acknowledgements that explore the indigenous histories of the places they call home. On the West Coast, CTA members have supported tribal efforts to memorialize indigenous people harmed by the missions founded by priests like the recently-canonized Junípero Serra. Demand accountability from your local Catholic leaders — perhaps by protesting a Columbus Day Mass.
