The U.S. Bishops, "...unequivocally state that racism is a life issue" (
Open Wide Our Hearts, 2018). Tragically, the murder of George Floyd and so many other people of color like him shakes all of us into confronting that the dehumanization of black and brown people continues today.
Pope Francis and
multiple statements from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and individual bishops expressed broken heartedness and outrage over the senseless death of yet another person of color, declared solidarity with angry and frustrated protesters, prayed for the conversion of hearts and healing of our broken society, and called for reforms of systemic racism.
Archbishop Wenski of the Archdiocese of Miami,
Bishop Parkes of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, and
Bishop Wack of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee were among the bishops who published individual statements. Bishop Parkes also led a
prayer vigil on June 7 for Peace, Healing, and Change.
To aid in the discernment of what actionable steps we each can take in eradicating the evil of racism, please see the USCCB guide,
Practical Steps for Eradicating Racism, or visit the Diocese of St. Petersburg's
webpage on racial harmony.
The FCCB is reinvigorated in its commitment to reforming public policies that disproportionately impact communities of color and harm vulnerable people in all stages of life.