May 29, 2020
Posted by ICTC on Friday, May 29, 2020 at 7:51 AM PDT
Sign of the Times
On behalf of the ICTC, we share in the grief and outrage of the recent racist events happening in our country. We offer you a statement by Pax Christi USA, a national Catholic peace movement: "The racism that is at the heart of these incidents penetrates every aspect of life in the United States, seeding the terror that threatens communities of color and disfigures all our humanity." We are outraged and heartbroken over the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others which reveal a complete disregard for the lives and dignity of Black People and other People of Color in our nation.
Here is a selection of Catholic responses to these events:
- Editorial: What have you done? No accounting for deaths of Floyd, Taylor and Arbery (NCR, May 29)
- After George Floyd’s Suffocation: A Litany for Oxygen From a Black Jesuit (The Jesuit Post, May 29)
- Statement on the death of George Floyd and the racism that seeds terror, disfigures our humanity (Pax Christi USA, May 28)
- Archbishop says Floyd video 'gut wrenching,' urges respect for all people (NCR, May 28)
- Statement on the Killing of George Floyd and the Mission of St. Peter Claver (YouTube, May 27)
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Archbishop Gregory issues statement on fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia (Catholic Standard, May 12)
The Catholic Intellectual Tradition stands in solidarity with the oppressed and we commit ourselves to working to dismantle systemic racism. This weekend we observe Pentecost, which celebrates the gift of God's spirit that brings us together as one people. Let us use this theme of Pentecost as a lens in which we can understand and approach what is happening, and has been happening over time, as we work for justice.
As we conclude our programming for the year, we invite you to visit the pages below and to watch the videos from this spring, which highlight our mission of "engagement at the crossroads where faith and reason, religion and culture, and church and world meet."
- The online Immigration Summit's theme is "Hope in Solidarity: The Catholic Response to Immigration Practices and Policies in the US." ICTC Interim Director Dr. Jeanette Rodriguez closes the summit with a special reflection and Bishop Elizondo provides some meaningful words of encouragement.
- The theme of the Catholic Heritage Lectures for this year was "Cultural Contributions and Contemporary Challenges to American Catholic Life" and we heard from scholars addressing the experiences and challenges for African Americans, Latinx, and Asian Americans in the Catholic Church.
- Our new series "We the People and the Primacy of Conscience" brought to the forefront our dual roles as citizens and people of faith. The newest video posted addresses the complex healthcare systems in the US.