Pope Francis, the first pope from South America, was known for his humble and non-traditional gestures, and his passing has prompted reflection on his powerful legacy and the unfinished hopes of Black Catholics seeking recognition for African-American sainthood.
Author Archives: Ralph E. Moore Jr.
Posted inCommentary
Commentary: On the wrong side of theology: Why it’s time to say goodbye to the Catholic Church
After 72 years as a Roman Catholic, Ralph Moore has decided to leave the Church due to its lack of progress on issues such as ordaining women, racial discrimination, sexism, and sexual abuse, and its refusal to allow women or married persons to become priests.
Posted inReligion
Multiple Catholic church homes set to permanently close in December
The Archdiocese of Baltimore is planning to close nine predominantly Black Catholic churches by Christmas Day 2024, due to low attendance and unaffordable maintenance costs, despite the historical racism faced by Black Catholics in the church.
Posted inColumnists
Saying goodbye to 2023: The good and the bad
By Ralph E. Moore Jr. Let’s see, we went from one war in Europe (Russia invading Ukraine) to another major war in the Middle East (Israel and Hamas) – twice the horror. Pope Francis and Rev. William Barber have been very clear moral leaders in opposition to these outbreaks of violence. On Christmas Day, Pope […]
Posted inSports Columnists
Sports player contracts are a bigger deal thanks to Curt Flood
By Ralph E. Moore Jr The latest sports news is that baseball pitcher and hitter, Shohei Ohtani, recently signed a $700,000,000 contract for ten years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wow, that’s a big one! Ohtani became a free agent on Nov. 2 of this year. Just for the record, a free agent in professional […]
Posted inBaltimore News
The Moore Report: A memorial park for the Black Sox, one of Baltimore’s Negro League Baseball teams…imagine that
By Ralph E. Moore, Jr. South Baltimore City is getting a great deal of attention these days. The Black communities on the other side of the water– opposite the Inner Harbor area– are Cherry Hill, Westport and Port Covington (recently renamed Baltimore Peninsula) and they’ve been overlooked for too long. Now things are happening through […]
Posted inBaltimore News
The Moore Report – Bayard Rustin: The unsung organizer of the March on Washington
By Ralph E. Moore Jr. Let’s talk openly about one of the most successful organizers and advocates in American History. His name was Bayard Rustin. It was Rustin who was the chief organizer of the March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his most renowned speech. The “I have a dream” speech, as […]
Posted inReligion
The Moore Report- Home from Rome: a look back at my trip to advocate for the ‘Saintly Six’ in the Vatican
By Ralph E. Moore, Jr. It was the trip of a lifetime. It was not a vacation, but a mission trip to advocate for justice and the respect of the Black Catholics, worshiping and serving in the U.S. for over 400 years. We have kept our eyes on God and the unrequited love from our […]
Posted inBaltimore News
The Moore Report: Some dinner compliments to chef Bea Gaddy
By Ralph E. Moore Jr., Special to the AFRO “Keep smilin’, keep shinin’ Knowin’ you can always count on me for sure That’s what friends are for For good times and bad times I’ll be on your side forevermore That’s what friends are for.” – “That’s What Friends Are For” by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer […]
Posted inBaltimore News
The Moore Report: War is not the answer
By Ralph E. Moore, Jr., Special to the AFRO My wife, Dana, and I spent 10 days in Israel in 2001. She was a guest of a Baltimore Jewish Council program, and I didn’t want her to go alone. Without getting into the long, tortured history and politics of the Middle East and the war […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Six common folks called to lead saintly lives, their inspiration should call us to action
By Ralph E. Moore Jr., Special to the AFRO Black Catholics have always had to fight for first class membership in the American Catholic Church. We advocated to be baptized while living and laboring on the plantation. We fought to be admitted to Catholic churches– some of which we built– only to be forced to […]
Posted inBaltimore News
The Moore Report: No stigma: It’s time to do something about our emotional or mental health
By Ralph E. Moore Jr., Special to the AFRO October is National Depression Awareness Month, providing an opportunity for all to check in on their mental and emotional health. Don’t let anybody shame you or make you feel bad if you get help from a professional counselor or take medication for an emotional or mental […]