QUESTION : Is the Church truly inclusive? Is there any discrimination in the Church based on ethnicity, caste, class, gender etc.? What are the implications of Gal 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”?
ANSWER: Dr. Jacob Parappally MSFS
The inclusivity of all humanity in Jesus Christ has been a consistent proclamation of the Church from the beginning of its existence. Jesus proclaimed of a God whom he experienced as Abba, a God who embraces every human being in his infinite love. At a time when the ancient world was deeply divided by the “narrow domestic walls” of ethnicity, social class, caste, gender, and other forms of discrimination, the Gospel challenged these walls of division with its powerful message of love, equality, and inclusivity. The early Church was convinced that all are one in Christ and that no fundamental division can separate human beings on the basis of ethnicity, social status, gender, wealth, education, or social origin. In the new humanity inaugurated through the Incarnation, or hominization, of the Word, every human being possesses equal dignity and an equal right to exist and flourish. It is in this context that Paul writes: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28).
Certainly, throughout history, the Church has prophetically confronted systems and structures that discriminate against people on whatever grounds. It has also been a powerful force in promoting human dignity, social justice, education, health care, and the protection of the vulnerable.
Has the Church always remained faithful to this profound conviction of faith? Or has it sometimes remained merely an ideal rather than becoming a fully realized ecclesial reality? These are uncomfortable but necessary questions for the Church. Certainly, throughout history, the Church has prophetically confronted systems and structures that discriminate against people on whatever grounds. It has also been a powerful force in promoting human dignity, social justice, education, health care, and the protection of the vulnerable. The recent encyclical letter of Pope Leo XIV, Magnificat Humanitas, is a significant contemporary expression of this commitment. At the same time, however, it must honestly be acknowledged that Christians have sometimes tolerated, perpetuated, or even reinforced divisions and forms of discrimination based on ethnicity, class, caste, gender, nationality, culture, and other. At times, even within their own ecclesial communities, Christians have experienced exclusion or marginalization because of their gender, caste, social status, cultural background, or other aspects of their identity. The tension between the Church’s universal proclamation of human dignity and the reality of exclusion within the Church therefore remains a serious challenge to its credibility and mission.
Inclusivity of Christ and His Church
Our understanding of Christ influences our understanding of the Church. If we understand Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, our Lord and Saviour, as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of the whole of creation, then the Church must be understood and lived as an all-embracing reality.
St Ignatius of Antioch (d. c. 110 AD), in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans (8.2), wrote: “Where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.” God’s Word did not become merely one human being; rather, the Word, or Logos, assumed human nature. By the very fact of the Incarnation, or hominization, of the Word, all humanity is included in Christ. Jesus Christ is a corporate personality. This means that, in him, all human beings who lived before him, all who lived contemporaneously with him, and all who would live after him are included.
The Second Vatican Council affirms this saying that the Church is “in Christ like a sacrament or sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of the unity of the whole human race” (Lumen Gentium, 1). Further, the document states: “There is therefore, in Christ and in the Church, no inequality arising from race or nationality, social condition or sex, because ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek… neither slave nor free… neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Lumen Gentium, 32). It is therefore the divine vocation of the Church to be inclusive. Any form of discrimination is contrary to this vocation and incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Church: Just and Sinner?
The Church is holy because it originates in God’s saving action, is united to Christ, and is continually sanctified by the Holy Spirit. At the same time, it is composed of human beings who remain vulnerable to sin and its consequences. The sinful tendencies that persist within individuals and communities can manifest themselves in discrimination, exclusion, racism, casteism, xenophobia, clericalism, and other forms of injustice. Therefore, to speak of the Church as both holy and sinful is not to deny its holiness or to relativize the reality of sin within her. Rather, it is to acknowledge the tension between the holiness she has received from Christ and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the sinfulness of her members.
Equal Dignity: Unity in Diversity, Not Uniformity
The Letter to the Galatians was written in the midst of a crisis. A group of Christians known as the Judaizers insisted that Gentile converts to the Christian faith must observe the Jewish Law, especially circumcision. In other words, they were expected to become Jews first and then Christians. This was totally unacceptable to Paul because he was convinced that salvation comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and not through the observance of the Mosaic Law. In Christ and through Christ, a Spirit-filled new community of humanity is established in which all are brothers and sisters. Therefore, he could boldly affirm: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28).
This was a revolutionary affirmation of faith. In a hierarchically structured society marked by social and economic discrimination and religious segregation, it represented a radical vision of human relationships. It affirmed the equal dignity of all God’s children. It is an imperative for everyone who, through baptism, has been incorporated into the Body of Christ to treat others as brothers and sisters. The new community is the embodiment of the Kingdom of God that Jesus lived and preached. It is the true kin-dom!
Whatever be the ethnic, cultural, social, economic, or gender status of a person, through baptism one transcends these historical realities and becomes a son or daughter of God. Thus, the affirmation of Galatians 3:28 can be understood as a baptismal declaration of this new identity in Christ. However, Paul does not say that ethnic identity, cultural diversity, biological differences, or social identities cease to exist after incorporation into Christ. A Jew becomes a Jewish Christian, and a Greek becomes a Greek Christian. Diversities are not abolished but transcended in the unity of Christ. Paul himself identifies as a Jew (Rom 11:1). Cultural diversities are respected, while all share equal dignity. What Galatians 3:28 emphasizes, therefore, is not uniformity but unity or communion based on equal dignity. Being in Christ and being a member of the Church transforms the manner of one’s relationships. Unity in Christ enables diverse persons to share one life in Christ as equal disciples. Diversity should never be seen as a threat but as a visible manifestation of the catholicity of the Church. Diversity has to be celebrated. The Eucharist itself is the sacrament of unity, gathering believers of different languages, cultures, and nations around the same table of the Lord.
Challenges to Inclusiveness in the Church
One must acknowledge that the Church is both a divine mystery and a human community. Although the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit towards holiness, some of its members do not respond adequately to the promptings of the Spirit. They can be influenced by the prejudices, discriminatory attitudes, exclusivism, and other evils of the societies in which they live. Such ungodly human attitudes can enter into the life of the Church and contradict the Gospel values. Such attitudes constitute an anti-witness to the Church’s commitment to inclusiveness. Therefore, the Church needs constant conversion to Christ and his values. The Church also needs healing from the wounds caused by members who harbor attitudes of discrimination and exclusion. Pentecost may be understood as the birth of an all-inclusive Church. Acts 2:1–11 affirms that the Holy Spirit created a new community that embraces people beyond ethnic, cultural, and national identities.
The Catholic Church has condemned racism as an unchristian attitude. Nevertheless, in some countries, ethnic identities continue to affect parish life, appointments to ecclesiastical offices, and relationships among clergy and bishops. In some places, racial or caste segregation even affects the assignment of places of worship and burial grounds. St John Paul II described racism as a “sin that constitutes a serious offence against God.” Pope Francis has repeatedly denounced every form of xenophobia, nationalism, and hatred directed against migrants and refugees.
For Christians in India, one of the most painful contradictions of Galatians 3:28 is the persistence of caste consciousness within sections of the Church. Although the Church in India denounces all forms of caste discrimination, caste consciousness and discrimination still persist in some places. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has repeatedly affirmed the dignity of Dalits and called for concrete pastoral action. Numerous religious congregations, dioceses, and lay movements actively work for Dalit empowerment, education, leadership formation, and social justice. Reluctance towards inter-caste marriages, and social segregation continue to be reported in certain dioceses and villages. Dalit Christians have repeatedly expressed the pain of feeling marginalized even within communities that proclaim the Gospel of equality.
Diversity should never be seen as a threat but as a visible manifestation of the catholicity of the Church. Diversity has to be celebrated. The Eucharist itself is the sacrament of unity, gathering believers of different languages, cultures, and nations around the same table of the Lord.
Economic inequality also affects Church life in subtle ways. Wealthier members may exercise disproportionate influence in parish councils, educational institutions, charitable organizations, or fundraising activities. Poor communities sometimes receive fewer pastoral resources than affluent parishes. Migrant laborers, domestic workers, and daily-wage earners often remain invisible despite their faithful participation in the Church.
Galatians 3:28 clearly affirms the equal dignity of women and men in Christ. The Gospels reveal that Jesus consistently treated women with remarkable respect in a society that often marginalized them. Throughout history, women have played indispensable roles as saints, mystics, theologians, educators, missionaries, founders of religious congregations, catechists, and pastoral leaders. The Church simply could not exist without their enormous contribution. At the same time, many Catholic women express concern that their voices remain insufficiently heard in ecclesial decision-making. Pope Francis repeatedly emphasized that the Church must develop a “more incisive female presence” at every level of ecclesial life.
Clericalism damages both priests and laity. It discourages collaboration, suppresses initiative, weakens accountability, and can sometimes contribute to abuses of authority. Conversely, a Church animated by the spirit of Galatians 3:28 recognizes that every baptized person has received gifts from the Holy Spirit for building up the Body of Christ. The Catholic Church possesses an extraordinary theological vision of human dignity. Created in the image of God, redeemed by Christ, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, every human person enjoys an inalienable dignity that no social structure can diminish. The Second Vatican Council, Catholic social teaching, and the witness of recent popes have reaffirmed this truth with remarkable clarity.
Yet the Church must honestly acknowledge that the journey towards authentic inclusiveness is not complete. Racism, caste consciousness, economic inequality, clericalism, prejudice, and other forms of exclusion continue to challenge the credibility of Christian witness. Recognizing these failures is not an act of disloyalty but an expression of fidelity to the Gospel, which continually calls the Church to conversion. The good news is that the resources for renewal already exist within the Church herself. Baptism reminds Christians that they share one new identity in Christ. The Eucharist forms them into one Body. Synodality teaches them to listen to one another. Servant leadership replaces domination with humble service. The Holy Spirit continually creates communion out of diversity.
