I am grateful to those who are seen as minorities in our country, who suffer great persecution and hardship, and yet endeavor to persevere and remain faithful to God’s desire that all people should live in peace and harmony. This is the only way to end violence and bring about real peace in our communities. I also ask all people to join with me in praying for a conversion of hearts and minds, beginning with ourselves. I pray for the repose of the soul of George Floyd, for Derek Chauvin, for their family and friends, and for all who have lost their lives due to racial violence. I pray for an awakening of consciences in every American, but especially in our faithful.
Racism will only stop if each one of us makes a deep commitment to conversion. In our most recent pastoral letter against racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, the US Catholic bishops call for Catholics to understand: “Racism is a life issue.” We cannot be indifferent to this deprivation of basic human dignity which eventually endangers human lives. We believe that God has created all human beings equal. It is too easy and dishonest to be indifferent to racism, to tell ourselves we have nothing to do with the pain and suffering, the terror, which some people who are not white internalize each day.Īctivities that white people take for granted – attending public events, shopping, walking by an impromptu social gathering – can be moments of humiliation and danger. Let’s be honest with ourselves: racism is always and everywhere wrong-an intrinsic evil-and it may exist even where we who are white do not see it. To take a stance for right and just actions requires something more than declaring “I am not a racist.” It requires each of us to look at how we are impacted by the culture in which we live. We serve a God of love, mercy, and justice.” We cannot turn a blind eye to these atrocities and yet still try to profess to respect every human life. As members of the Church, we must stand for the more difficult right and just actions instead of the easy wrongs of indifference. It is a real and present danger that must be met head on. Violence motivated by racism must stop.Īs my brother bishops wrote last May, “Racism is not a thing of the past or simply a throwaway political issue to be bandied about when convenient. Let me be clear: All human beings are our sisters and brothers, no matter their race, language or creed. Their human dignity is being crushed and defiled because they are seen as “other” or “less than.” In our own communities, including in the Diocese of Jefferson City, individuals are being humiliated and denigrated because of their race.
While the trial of Derek Chauvin has finished and our justice system moves forward, we must still face the reality that we are not done with racism. Shawn McKnight has issued the following statement:
In response to the verdict of guilty in the ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin trial for the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, Bishop W. We are living in the digital age, when people completely depend on written Global Human Resource Management: Managing People Developing And Transitional CountriesDerek Eldridge information: texting, messaging, media posts - if something is not written online, it’s like it does not exist. Women's Ministry Upcoming Presentations.Intención mensual del Obispo para Abril.