Still No Response From NC Catholics
Should I be surprised?

I sent this letter to the editor of the local diocesan paper two weeks ago. Still no response. Gee, I wonder why? Dear Editor,
In the most recent edition (Apr. 2008) of NC Catholics, the article written by Msgr. Hadden gave me the impression that he was attempting to state that St. Monica was (to use the technically correct terms) a Sub-Saharan Black African (Negroid), other than a North African Arab (Caucasoid).

Granted, Msgr. Hadden did state that she was "African", and essentially, he's correct. But as I've already said, Arabs are Caucasoid, not Negroid.

Is there any historical evidence that Msgr. Hadden is correct, and that St. Monica wasn't a member of the majority Arab ethnic group of Egypt, and was in fact, a Sub-Saharan Black African? If there is, could you please cite it. All the evidence that I've uncovered thus far states that she was an Egyptian Arab, and not a Sub-Saharan Black.

Also, the sentence "Saint Monica, an African laywoman, is a saint with whom black women can readily identify, because Monica epitomizes the present black woman." is quite honestly, insulting. As my wife and daughter have informed me, St. Monica is a Saint that ALL women can identify with, regardless of skin color. Please keep in mind that no one racial group has a monopoly on any given suffering.As one can tell from the images that I use on this blog itself, I have no problem whatsoever with any given cultural artistic style being utilized in the evangelizing with any given people. If a distinctively Japanese-looking Mary assists in aiding the Japanese in understand Marian devotion... I have no problem with that.

But to insinuate that that any given Saint in reality is a member of a certain ethic group, when he/she clearly isn't, that's racial pandering of the worst kind. Some might even call it lying.

After all, would it be factual to portray St. Paul Miki and Companions (The Japanese Martyrs) in traditional Jewish garb and with distinctively Jewish physical features? Or for that matter, instead of Jewish, how about Yemenis or Armenians or Khazaks? After all, aren't they all Asians?

Or possibly we should portray St. Juan Diego as an Aleut donning a fur lined parka and hunting seals? Why not? After all, aren't the Mexican Indians and the Aleuts all Aboriginal North Americans?

Better yet... how about a portrayal of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions (The Ugandan Martyrs) as redheaded, green eyed, and an extremely fair-skinned Tunisians? Why not? They're all Africans. Yeah, that would last for all of two seconds.

But you know what? St. Paul Miki will always be portrayed as Japanese; St. Juan Diego will always be portrayed as a Mexican Indian; St. Charles Lwanga will always be portrayed as a Black African. Know why? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE! And no amount of pew pandering will ever change that.

If St. Monica was in fact, Black African... so be it. But there's been no credible evidence of such being the case. With, of course, the exception of the run-away and factually incorrect political correctness. If you want to consider that "evidence".