Our mission is to build a civilization of love and life which upholds the dignity
and inviolability of all innocent human life, seeks objective moral Truth,
embraces the value of redemptive suffering, and yearns for the fullness of life
in eternal communion with God the Creator.
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In His Image
A statement from Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and
Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, upon the establishment of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism
As Sacred Scripture teaches, each one of us is made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-27). The mission of the Church is to teach and to witness to the intrinsic dignity of the human person. Marches by hate groups such as the KKK and Neo-Nazis are outrageous to the sensible mind and directly challenge the dignity of human life. It is time for us to recommit ourselves to eradicating racism.
Last week, after the evil events in Charlottesville, I convened various consultations with bodies of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Based on that consultation, I am today announcing the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism. I am grateful to Bishop George V. Murry, SJ of Youngstown for accepting the chairmanship of this Ad Hoc Committee. Bishop Murry will speak more on the mandate of the Committee at the press event later today.
Prejudice can lurk unnoticed in the soul. Without prayerful reflection, it can feed on the fear of what is different. It can grow into overt racism. But self-reflection is not enough. It must lead to action. May the work of the USCCB serve as a call to conversion for those hiding behind white hoods and Nazi symbols. The vile chants of violence against African Americans and other people of color, the Jewish people, immigrants, and
others offend our faith, but unite our resolve. Let us not allow the forces of hate to deny the intrinsic dignity of every human person. Let the nation and world see the one body of Christ move to the defense of our sisters and brothers who are threatened.
May today be a new beginning.
Copyright © 2017, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC. All rights reserved.
