Denver Catholic

DC_June 13, 2020 Digital Edition

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Jesus desires to heal wounds of racism O ur nation has been shocked and convulsed by the tragic death of George Floyd, adding to the litany of those who have unneces- sarily lost their lives. People have been rightly outraged, because human life is invaluable and has a dignity that must be unconditionally respected. Underlying this tragedy and the many others over the years is a societal failure that took root with the introduction of slavery to the U.S. 400 years ago. Our country failed to equally love and respect every person, and we see the damage caused by that wound continuing to manifest itself today. Closing these wounds will take time, but it is something that the Sacred Heart of Jesus desires and that our faith demands. The process of healing requires acknowledging what was done by whom. The Catholic Church, in the U.S. and in other countries, has not always been blameless in welcoming and respecting every race and eth- nicity. Pope Saint John Paul II acknowledged these sins on several occa- sions, including asking forgiveness during the Jubilee Year 2000's Day of Pardon. He said, "Lord God, our Father, you created the human being, man and woman, in your image and likeness, and you willed the diversity of peoples within the unity of the human family. At times, however, the equality of your sons and daughters has not been acknowledged, and Christians have been guilty of attitudes of rejection and exclusion, con- senting to acts of discrimination on the basis of racial and ethnic differ- ence. Forgive us and grant us the grace to heal the wounds still present in your community on account of sin, so that we will all feel ourselves to be your sons and daughters." At various moments in the history of our Archdiocese, people of color have experienced instances of racism in our Churches, ministries, and schools that we cannot ignore and must acknowledge has hurt members of our Church. At one point, in one of the most egregious acts of racism that took place in our history, we had a parish where black parishioners were required to wait outside to receive Communion and could only do so themselves after the white parishioners were finished and if there were enough hosts left. Even today I have heard from members of the Black, Hispanic, and Asian communities who have shared with me how they have experienced being excluded and not being welcomed. Know- ing of our past and present sins hurts me deeply. As the Archbishop of BY ARCHBISHOP SAMUEL J. AQUILA Archbishop of Denver

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