CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- The ecumenism preached by Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1963 \u201cI Have a Dream\u201d speech is key to breaking the shackles of individualism and systemic racism, a St. Louis priest has said.<\/p>\n\tThat racism is a sin is a \u201cshared tenant of Christianity,\u201d said Father Art Cavitt, executive director of the St. Louis-based St. Charles Lwanga Center, in a recent interview with CNA.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThe need for recognition of the dignity of all human beings is incumbent upon all of us. That lack of recognition contributes to the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tUS Conference of Catholic Bishops\u2019 President Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville echoed the priest\u2019s sentiments in a statement marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cEvery human life has profound dignity, rooted in our creation in the image of God,\u201d Archbishop Kurtz wrote. \u201cWe are on family. Our communities will only reflect this dignity if we first turn to prayer to guide our actions toward ending years of isolation, disregard and conflict between neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tArchbishop Kurtz lamented a lingering stain of racism in the United States.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cContinuing tensions and violence in our communities remind us that although significant progress has been made\u2026we still have much work to do,\u201d he wrote. \u201cAs we consider the gains of the past and the challenges before us, I urge each of us to pray for healing and peace as we work for ever greater communion.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
\tThe comments by Fr. Cavitt and Archbishop Kurtz come months after protests and increasing racial tensions in the St. Louis area following a grand jury\u2019s decision not to indict Ferguson, Mo. police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of black 18-year-old Michael Brown. The decision prompted many protests across the U.S., some of which turned violent.<\/p>\n
\tSt. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson had called for prayer and calm in response.<\/p>\n
\tDespite the violent response, Fr. Cavitt said there is hope after the Ferguson controversy. He said there is a rising desire for action to overcome injustice and cooperation to build common ground.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cHope has more than emerged here. It is a stabilizing virtue in the organization of activities,\u201d Fr. Cavitt said. \u201cThe religious community is not silent, but engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThere is an urgent sense of the desire to address issues,\u201d he continued. \u201cIn the midst of feeling \u2018shell-shocked\u2019 in the aftermath of destruction, there is still the rallying of myriad organizations, religious and secular commissions, to address problems of injustice and disparity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe St. Louis archdiocese is working to improve its efforts at racial reconciliation and justice. Archbishop Carlson on Jan. 6 named attorney Marie Kenyon as director of the archdiocese\u2019s Peace and Justice Commission. For almost 30 years, Kenyon has been managing attorney of Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry, which helps address the legal needs of people with low incomes.<\/p>\n
\tAt a Mass for Peace and Justice in August 2014, the archbishop had pledged to re-establish the commission to address issues like poverty, racial tension and a lack of education.<\/p>\n
\tFr. Cavitt also said people should recognize the times when race is viewed differently by different ethnicities.<\/p>\n
\tHe stressed the need to get \u201ca perspective from the other person\u2019s shoes\u201d to move from misunderstanding to solidarity.<\/p>\n
\tWorking towards common ground from different perspectives would acknowledge \u201cboth systemic and individual contributions to our problems,\u201d he advised.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWhat is it like to feel like a victim of the \u2018isms\u2019?\u201d the priest asked. \u201cWhat is it like to be accused of \u2018isms,\u2019 particularly if those being accused are stereotyped exclusively because of the attitudes and actions of past generations?\u201d<\/p>\n
\tExploring and affirming various perspectives in an in-depth way would help build common ground, he said.<\/p>\n
\tFr. Cavitt reflected on the state of black Catholics in the U.S. They make up over 3 million Catholics out of about 36 million black Americans, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reports.<\/p>\n
\tAccording to Fr. Cavitt, black Catholics share some characteristics of the country as a whole: their communities show a \u201ccomplex display of vibrancy,\u201d adherence to the Catholic faith, and a desire to give an example to younger generations.<\/p>\n
\tMany say they are satisfied with their experience as Catholics, while among others there is a decades-long \u201cexodus away from parish life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tLike other Americans, some are searching for answers about identity and faith and have a mistrust of authority. Some who were raised Catholic are not engaged in their parishes, but are \u201cseeking answers elsewhere or not particularly addressing that void in their life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThe daunting task remains: how the Church invites and communicates its relevancy into the life of the black community,\u201d Fr. Cavitt said.<\/p>\n
\tHe suggested the newly ordained Louisiana priest Fr. Joshua Johnson might be an example of this effort.<\/p>\n
\tThe young priest runs a hip hop radio show with one of his friends. They talk about the saints and apologetics in a way that is \u201cattractive to people who are in the hood,\u201d Fr. Johnson said in a YouTube video posed by Catholic Extension. \u201cEvery episode is rap, we freestyle and have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
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St. Louis, Mo., Jan 19, 2015 \/ 12:03 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- The ecumenism preached by Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech is key to breaking the shackles of individualism and systemic racism, a St. Louis priest has said…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\n
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