Archbishop calls for bishops' racism statement given election tension

IMAGE: CNS photo/Bob Roller

By Rhina Guidos

BALTIMORE (CNS) — Earlier this year, as communities faced tensions,
protests and violence, following a spate of shooting and killings of black men
by police, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, of Louisville, Kentucky, as president of the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops, asked dioceses across the country to observe a day of prayer for
peace.

He also wanted the bishops to look for ways they could help the
suffering communities, as well as police affected by the incidents.

To that end, he appointed a special task force to explore ways
of promoting peace and healing around the country and named by Archbishop
Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta to head it.

On Nov. 14, Archbishop Gregory urged bishops gathered in
Baltimore at the USCCB’s fall general assembly to issue, sooner than
later, a document on racism, given “postelection uncertainty” and that some of the
tensions have only gotten worse following the presidential election.

He
urged prayer, ecumenical and interfaith collaboration, dialogues, as well as
parish-based and diocesan conversations and training, and providing
opportunities for encounter.

In a
news conference that followed his afternoon presentation and ended the first day of the bishops’ assembly, Archbishop Gregory said communities that were disrupted by violence and riots after the
police shootings, prompting a calling for healing from the church, are now
seeing recent and highly public reactions to tensions brought about by the
election results.

“It’s
the hope of the task force, of people of goodwill, that the demonstrations,
don’t turn violent,” he said.

American
society has the ability to express opinion on social matters through various
forms of expression, including protests, but “what we pray for is that those
expressions of frustrations don’t provide another vehicle for violence.”

Tensions had been high enough in July, when Archbishop Kurtz had
said the Catholic Church needed to “walk with and help these suffering
communities” that had been affected by the shootings and the riots protesting
them that followed.

“I have stressed the need to look toward additional ways of
nurturing an open, honest and civil dialogue on issues of race relations,
restorative justice, mental health, economic opportunity, and addressing the
question of pervasive gun violence,” Archbishop Kurtz said at the time. He said he wanted the work of the task force to
help embrace the suffering of the communities, to nurture peace and build
bridges of communication and mutual aid in local communities.

The recommendations, said Archbishop Gregory, were examined
before the recent elections and all the tensions and protests that have followed. The recommendations were related
to race and violence issues related to the summer shootings and riots.

But
Archbishop Gregory expressed hope that the church could help foster dialogue
and bring healing by working with communities for a lasting peace.

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Follow Guidos on Twitter: @CNS_Rhina.

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