Open Letter of Gratitude and Profound Analysis “A Heart Burning in Fraternity: Analysis and Gratitude for the Pastoral Letter ‘Conscience of Fraternity: The Path to Overcoming Racism in Puerto Rico’” by Archbishop Roberto Octavio González Nieves, O.F.M. June 25, 2026
By Nchumbonga George Lekelefac, PhD.c. B.Phil. (Mexico); S.T.B. (Rome); J.C.L./M.C.L. (Ottawa); Doctorandus, University of Münster, Germany; International Advocate for the Oppressed, Voice of the Voiceless, Defender of Fundamental Human Rights, Canon Lawyer/Jurist, Friend to the Vulnerable, and Enemy of Every Oppressor/Tyrant
Motto: “Not merely to recount what has been, but to share in molding what should be.” — Prof. Dr. Bernard Nsokika Fonlon, Editor of the Cameroon Cultural Review, Abbia (1960–1980)
“Fixos los ojos en Jesús” (Fixing our eyes on Jesus — Heb 12:2) and “Ut unum sint” (That they may be one — Jn 17:21).
Most Excellent and Most Reverend Monsignor Roberto Octavio González Nieves, O.F.M., Metropolitan Archbishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico
Powerful Quote: "The path toward the solution of racism passes through a twofold strategy. First, educating the human mind and heart (mens et cor) toward a mentality and cordiality, a culture and civility regulated by three fundamental laws: the law of dependence of every creature and of all together upon one Creator; the law of brotherhood among all created human persons who have one God as their Father; and the law of mutual dependence among all creatures, among all humans, among all individuals, families, communities, societies, clans, tribes, nations, peoples, and races. Second, educating the living human individual to be conscious of, to uphold, defend, and promote the awareness that life can only be lived well as a triadic relationship whose three constitutive elements are the permanent, contemporaneous, and inseparable intra-relation, inter-relation, and extra-relation, expressed at all levels — familial, communitarian, tribal, national, societal, and racial — and undergirded by the inevitable ontological reality that every being (ens) always exists in a particular place, always beside other beings, and always within other beings, as proclaimed in the Prologue of the Gospel of John: In principle erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum.This solution also demands replacing egoism with selflessness, nepotism, clanism, and tribalism with universal brotherhood (fraternity) and communitarianism, and nationalism with global patriotism, through loving one's enemies, forgiving those who trespass against us, refusing revenge or retaliation, giving generously without expecting anything in return, and practicing distributive justice that allows everyone to participate equally in the common good. Finally, it requires that those families, communities, tribes, nations, societies, and races that have been discriminated against because of their scarce or even zero productivity of universally useful goods become abundant producers of such goods, indispensable for all humanity, so that they may gain respect, recognition, and full equality, until discrimination is reduced to nothingness and gives way to peaceful and fraternal coexistence among all the peoples of the earth.” (Rev. Prof. John O. Egbulefu CCE – Adapted and synthesized from his contribution to the Task Force against Racism, May 24, 2024)
Introduction: A Prophetic Act of Pastoral Courage
Your Excellency, with profound filial gratitude and sincere admiration, I write this open letter to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your twenty-first Pastoral Letter as Metropolitan Archbishop of San Juan: “Conscience of Fraternity: The Path to Overcoming Racism in Puerto Rico.” This document is not merely another magisterial text; it is a true acta prophetica (prophetic act) that confronts with evangelical courage one of the deepest wounds in our Puerto Rican and Caribbean society. By publishing it on the Solemnity of St. John the Baptist, Patron of Puerto Rico, you have united the voice of the precursor crying in the wilderness with the tenderness of the Good Shepherd who seeks to heal and unite his flock. Last year, Your Excellency gave us the Pastoral Letter “They Are Not Alone” on the reality of immigrants. Now, with this new letter, you complete a pastoral diptych of extraordinary coherence: the defense of the dignity of the stranger and the denunciation of the racism that divides those who are already sons and daughters of this land. Cor unum et anima una (One heart and one soul), as St. Anthony Mary Claret would say, beats in your ministry. This pastoral letter deserves a detailed, profound, and grateful analysis. In the following pages, I offer an extensive, structured, and theological-pastoral reflection that honors its content, highlights its historical importance, and proposes concrete paths of application for the Church in Puerto Rico.
I. Historical Context and the Courage to Speak Plainly
Your Excellency uses moral authority to challenge the comfortable belief that “racism does not exist in Puerto Rico.” Drawing on historical data, testimonies from archdiocesan listening sessions, and a mature theological perspective, you demonstrate how prejudice, offensive jokes, and discrimination in employment, education, and social life against people of African descent remain a painful reality. This collective denial is, in itself, a subtle form of racism that perpetuates the wound. By commemorating the 153rd anniversary of the abolition of slavery, you transform a historical date into a *kairos*—a moment of grace—for reconciliation. It is not merely a matter of celebration, but of acknowledging the pain, the lives lost, and the sweat and blood shed during the very construction of the Cathedral of San Juan. Your request for forgiveness on behalf of the Archdiocese is an act of *purificatio memoriae* (purification of memory) that follows in the footsteps of Saint John Paul II and Pope Francis.
II. Theological Foundations: A Single Human Race
You masterfully ground the entire document in biblical anthropology: “God created the human being in His image and likeness” (Gen 1:26–27). There are no superior or inferior races. There exists only the human race—a single family created by God. Racism is, therefore, a direct offense against the Creator and against the transcendent dignity of the person. Following Saint Paul (Eph 2:14), you remind us that in Christ there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, Black or white. The Cross and the Resurrection are the definitive foundation of universal fraternity. Your Excellency offers an excellent synthesis of the Church’s Social Doctrine, ranging from *Rerum Novarum* to Pope Leo XIV’s *Magnifica Humanitas*. Racism is morally unacceptable (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 33). Your call for adequate catechesis and formation in Catholic schools is both urgent and practical.
III. Lights and Shadows in Church History
You do not hide the shadows: complicity in slavery, baptismal registers segregated by race, and barriers placed before vocations among people of African descent. At the same time, you highlight the lights: Saint Anthony Mary Claret confronting overseers, Bartolomé de las Casas, and the heroic witness of Rafael and Celestina Cordero. The enthronement of the relic of Saint Josephine Bakhita in the Cathedral stands as one of the most beautiful and prophetic gestures of your ministry. Bakhita—from slave to saint—becomes an intercessor and a model of liberating forgiveness. Your homily from March 22, 2023, is a spiritual gem that deserves to be read and pondered in every parish.
IV. Puerto Rican Examples of Holiness and Excellence
You rightly bring to light the figure of the “Apostle of Primary Education,” the Venerable Teacher Rafael Cordero Molina, and his sister Celestina. Providing free education to children of all races within a context of exclusion is an act of heroic charity. Your support for the cause of their canonization is a sign of hope: Puerto Rico needs Black saints on its altars who reflect the reality of our faith and our *mestizo* identity.
V. Concrete Proposals and a Path of Conversion
Your Excellency’s proposals are practical and transformative: designating March 22 as a Day of Reconciliation and Healing, integrating this theme across the curriculum in Catholic schools, increasing the inclusion of students of African descent, implementing anti-racist catechesis starting in childhood, and utilizing Catholic media outlets (TeleOro and Radio Paz). These initiatives demonstrate that your letter is not merely a prophetic denunciation, but also a constructive and hopeful proposal for the entire Church in Puerto Rico.
VI. Historical Importance of this Pastoral Letter
This letter is important because it breaks the silence in a society that prefers to render the problem invisible; it unites faith and social justice, demonstrating that authentic spirituality cannot be separated from a commitment to human dignity; it contributes to national unity in times of political division; it strengthens the Church’s credibility by asking for forgiveness and proposing paths to healing; and it inspires new generations by offering accessible and relevant models of holiness, such as Saint Josephine Bakhita and the Venerables Rafael and Celestina Cordero. This letter is important because: 1) It breaks the silence: In a society that prefers to render the problem invisible, you name it with Gospel clarity; 2) It unites faith and social justice: It shows that authentic spirituality cannot be separated from a commitment to human dignity; 3) It contributes to national unity: In times of political and status-related divisions, you remind us that our greatest wealth is fraternity; 4) It strengthens the Church’s credibility: By asking for forgiveness and proposing paths to healing, the Church regains moral authority; 5) It inspires new generations: It offers accessible and relevant models of holiness (Bakhita, Cordero).
VII. My Open Letter to Pope Francis (2022) and Its Connection to Your Pastoral Letter
Your Excellency’s Pastoral Letter resonates deeply with an initiative I had the honor of presenting four years ago. On June 17, 2022, I addressed an open letter to Pope Francis and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, humbly proposing the creation of a “Pontifical Commission for the Eradication of Racism in the Catholic Church.”
In that letter, I denounced the fact that racism remains a serious problem even within the Church, citing specific cases of African priests who were victims of xenophobia and threats in Germany and elsewhere. I recalled the statements made by Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, all of whom have condemned racism as a sin that violates human dignity and the unity of the Body of Christ. I proposed that, just as the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors exists, the Church needed a specific commission to address complaints and promote training, seminars, and concrete actions to eradicate this evil that hinders the evangelizing mission. I concluded with a prayer asking God to help us love and respect everyone as brothers and sisters, for “racism endangers the unity of the Body of Christ.”
Your Pastoral Letter, “Conscience of Fraternity,” is a living, local response to that same universal cry. What I proposed at the universal level, you are prophetically embodying at the archdiocesan and Puerto Rican levels. Both initiatives complement each other: one seeks a global structure, while the other initiates concrete conversion from the heart of Puerto Rico.
VIII. Summary of my Open Letter to Pope Leo XIV (June 1, 2026)
In my open letter addressed to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, dated June 1, 2026, I commend the Holy Father for his courageous gesture of acknowledging and asking forgiveness for the Vatican’s historical role in legitimizing African slavery. Building upon this act of repentance, I respectfully propose the creation of a Permanent Pontifical Commission to Combat Slavery and Racism within the Catholic Church, endowed with genuine authority, resources, and a direct mandate from the Holy See.
The primary objectives of this commission would be: 1) To conduct a comprehensive and transparent historical review of Vatican archives regarding slavery, the transatlantic slave trade, and institutional racism; 2) To promote concrete actions regarding restorative justice, education, and support for affected communities in Africa and the diaspora; and 3) To carry out a necessary liturgical purification: specifically, recommending the removal from the Lectionary and the public proclamation of biblical texts that—while part of Sacred Scripture—should no longer be read during the liturgy because they endorse or accept slavery. I specifically cite Ephesians 6:5–6 (“Slaves, obey your earthly masters...”) and 1 Peter 2:18–19 (“Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters...”); these texts have caused profound trauma to the descendants of enslaved people and contradict the current development of the Church’s Social Doctrine regarding human dignity.
The proposal emphasizes that *veritas liberabit vos* (the truth will set you free—John 8:32) and that the Church must move from words to deeds (*non verbis sed operibus*). The Commission would draw inspiration from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and would work on seminary formation, the creation of educational resources, dialogue with episcopal conferences, and the promotion of true reconciliation. I conclude the letter by offering my prayers and complete readiness to collaborate on this prophetic initiative, which would help the Church proclaim, with greater consistency, the Gospel of justice and the equal dignity of all human beings created *imago Dei*.
This proposal perfectly complements the Pastoral Letter of Archbishop Roberto Octavio González Nieves, who is carrying out courageous work at the local level regarding healing, reparation, and the purification of memory concerning racism in Puerto Rico.
IX. Rev. Prof. John O. Egbulefu CCE: his courageous and profound contribution requested by Cardinal Peter Turkson for the Task Force against Racism established by Pope Francis, May 24, 2024
Rev. Prof. John O. Egbulefu CCE, in the courageous and profound contribution requested by Cardinal Peter Turkson for the Task Force against Racism established by Pope Francis, affirms with theological conviction and prophetic hope that racism—while a painful and deeply rooted reality—is a problem that can be dismantled and definitively resolved. Far from accepting it as incurable—as a cardinal once suggested to him in his youth—Egbulefu describes it as an evil born of human selfishness. He traces its progressive evolution through nepotism, clannism, tribalism, and nationalism, culminating in its manifestation as racism proper; in doing so, it denies the divine laws of interdependence among creatures and the universal fraternity of all human beings as children of the same Father. As a systematic theologian and a personal witness—having survived an assassination attempt in Rome in 2005 precisely for denouncing racism—he maintains that this reality exists both as an *object* (possessing a structure that absolutizes one race while marginalizing others, thereby depriving the world of the unity willed by God) and as an *event* (with a history rooted in sin yet capable of transformation). The solution lies in a dual strategy—educational and practical: on the one hand, shaping the mind and heart to be conscious of the threefold relationship—intra-, inter-, and extra-personal—that defines human existence, while cultivating fraternity, love for enemies, forgiveness, and distributive justice; on the other, fostering abundant productivity of goods beneficial to all humanity by peoples who have been historically discriminated against—especially Africans and people of African descent—so that they may gain respect, recognition, and full equality, thereby eliminating the economic and social foundations of prejudice. With unwavering faith that "with God all things are possible" and that the Holy Spirit accompanies this marathon-like struggle, Egbulefu invites the Church and humanity to move from selfishness to self-giving, and from marginalization to full participation in the common good, so that racism may finally be reduced to nothing and give way to peaceful, fraternal coexistence among all the peoples of the earth.
X. Connection to the Claretian Charism and the Legacy of Msgr. Rubén Antonio González Medina
As someone who has had the privilege of interviewing and writing the spiritual biography of Msgr. Rubén Antonio González Medina, C.M.F. (*Fijos los ojos en Jesús* / "Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus"), I see in your letter an echo of Claretian missionary zeal. Saint Anthony Mary Claret confronted racism in Cuba; you confront it in Puerto Rico. The continuity of that missionary fire is evident.
XI. Final Call to Action
Your Excellency, this pastoral letter is a gift to Puerto Rico. May it be read, studied, lived out, and applied in every parish, school, and home. May it help us move from denial to conversion, from prejudice to fraternity, and from woundedness to healing.
Conclusion: Gratitude and Prayer
Thank you, Your Excellency, for your pastoral courage. Thank you for not remaining silent in the face of the sin of racism. It would be highly timely and of great value for Your Excellency to write a formal letter to the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, expressing support for the creation of a Pontifical Commission for Safeguarding against Racism within the Universal Church. Racism is a reality that gravely wounds the Body of Christ; in its severity and destructive consequences, it is comparable to the scourge of sexual abuse against minors and vulnerable adults. Just as the universal Church has the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, the creation of a specific Pontifical Commission for safeguarding against racism would be a prophetic, courageous, and necessary step—one that would strengthen the Church's credibility and answer the cry of so many faithful who suffer from this deep wound. May the Lord, through the intercession of Saint Josephine Bakhita, Venerable Master Rafael Cordero, Celestina, and Our Lady of Providence, cause this letter to bear abundant fruit in the lives of our people. May Puerto Rico increasingly become a beautiful mosaic where all colors shine in the unity of Christian fraternity. Ad maiorem Dei gloriam et salutem animarum.
With filial affection and constant prayer,
And believe me to be your most humble, most reverent, most prayerful, and most faithful servant.
Nchumbonga George Lekelefac, B.Phil. (Mexico); S.T.B. (Rome); J.C.L./M.C.L. (Ottawa); Doctorandus, University of Münster, Germany Diploma in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, and Dutch; Defender of the Oppressed; Voice of the Voiceless; Defender of the Defenseless and of Fundamental Human Rights; International Language Tutor (English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German);; Chief Correspondent (Europe/USA) for *The Sun Newspaper* (Cameroon), *The Herald Tribune* (Cameroon), and *The Horizon Newspaper* (Cameroon); Catholic Media Influencer and Whistleblower; Canonist/Jurist and Researcher; Veteran Social Media Contributor on Theological and Canonical Education; Founder/CEO of the "Nchumbonga Lekelefac Institute of Research, Documentation, Language and Culture, USA"; Canonist/Jurist for the International League for the Defense of the Rights of Priests and Religious of the Roman Catholic Church (LIDDPRRECR), Paris, France, and Representative for North and South America; Member of the Canadian Canon Law Society, Ottawa, Canada; Biographer of Bishop Jerome Feudjio, 6th Diocesan Bishop of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the first native African Bishop in the United States hailing from Cameroon, Africa.
Signature: Nchumbonga George Lekelefac
Email: nchumbong@yahoo.com