Statement regarding George Floyd

Justice cannot be served when the fundamental dignity of a person is not respected. The ugly reality of racism which was demonstrated in the brutal treatment of Mr. George Floyd cannot be tolerated because we are all humanly diminished when we are not appalledat the mistreatment of others because of the color of their skin.

As the representatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stated, “We serve a God of love, mercy and justice.’ To serve justice, we must not tolerate such atrocities in our society. Yet our protests must be peaceful so that we may demonstrate respect for all people not just by our words but by our actions. This weekend we saw many police and others in authority standing side by side with those who voiced their outrage in peaceful marches. Our vision for a just and humane society must be embraced by everyone. May our actions, our words and our hearts be focused on making that dream a reality.