The topic of “diversity, equality, inclusivity” is one that raises hackles on some people’s necks—their sense is that this process accomplishes exactly the opposite: a favoritism that eliminates equality even as it tries to enhance diversity and inclusivity. Does this kind of thing belong in the Catholic Church? I would like to offer three examples of contexts in which (granted, in modified form) this is indeed a properly Catholic vision. My first example comes from my time in seminary. Since I studied in Rome, I studied in classes with others from the world: New Zealand, India, Spain, Italy, Canada, Thailand, and so on. This, as a fact, is really no surprise. What was a surprise to me was that this wide-ranging group (many already priests since I was doing graduate work) had perspectives I’d never considered before. This was especially true in the classes taught by Fr Philippe Rouillard, OSB. The last sessions of his classes in sacramental theology were always a sharing of the ways in which the sacraments were celebrated in our homelands. Were there differences between me and the fellows from India or Spain? Good grief—there were even differences between me and guys from California or New Jersey! But we were all under the one umbrella of the Catholic Church, showing our diversity while living in unity. I learned that outward forms of celebration could surely be varied while the essential core of the worship was constant. My second example is the Catholic Church itself. After all, the word ‘catholic’ comes from the Greek that means ‘world-wide’ or ‘universal.’ We worship in differing ways yet worship the same God in Jesus Christ. Just consider two other churches in our State (both in Birmingham): St Elias and St George. The first is a Maronite-rite Catholic church; the second is a Melkite-rite Catholic church. Their liturgies are longer and more ornamented than ours, and in Syriac/Aramaic or Greek. But we are all Catholics. Differing rites have developed historically; there is no reason why others cannot develop (for example, in sub-Saharan Africa or in the Amazon area of South America). One of the biggest mistakes the Catholic Church made in the period of missionary zeal during and after the 16th century was the forcing of new converts (from India, or Japan, or China…) to worship in Latin forms instead of their own forms. This attitude was a part of the rivalry in the 7th-8th centuries in Central and Eastern Europe, between German (Latin-rite) bishops and the missionary efforts of Ss Cyril and Methodius, who brought to Slavic peoples a language and liturgy in their native tongues. [FYI, the latter are now named co-patrons of Europe.] A famous Jesuit dictum is “Let God be God.” By analogy, let Slavs be Slavs; let Nigerians be Nigerians; let Mexicans be Mexicans. This is the basis of the “multi-culturalism” we so rightly celebrate here at Our Savior. My final example is inspired by a passage from the “Office of Readings” in the Breviary, from Bishop Fulgentius of Ruspe, a 5th century bishop in North Africa. And he alludes to the idea of “diversity/equality/inclusivity” as essential to the nature of the Blessed Trinity. His image is of “unity, equality, and love,” but it’s easy to see how this is a divine form of the DEI we struggle with here below. We proclaim God as “Holy Father, Holy Son/Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee/While in essence only One/Undivided God we claim Thee.” It’s tricky, but our Faith’s balancing act really is based on Godhead as “diverse, yet inclusive and equal.” Hold on to this thought as we approach Trinity Sunday in just a few weeks. -Fr. David