“The violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating,” Archbishop José Gomez said May 31, as a wave of violent protests swept Los Angeles and other American cities for several straight nights, following the killing of an unarmed black man by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
“The killing of George Floyd was senseless and brutal, a sin that cries out to heaven for justice,” said Gomez, who is president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“How is it possible that in America, a black man’s life can be taken from him while calls for help are not answered and his killing is recorded as it happens?”
….In Los Angeles, three nights of protests, looting of businesses, and violence against police officers prompted Mayor Eric Garcetti to order a citywide curfew Saturday night. It led Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency, resulting in the deployment of the California National Guard onto the city’s streets overnight.
In his statement, Gomez said the protests reflected “the justified frustration and anger of millions of our brothers and sisters who even today experience humiliation, indignity, and unequal opportunity only because of their race or the color of their skin.
“It is true what Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, that riots are the language of the unheard,” Gomez continued. “We should be doing a lot of listening right now. This time, we should not fail to hear what people are saying through their pain. We need to finally root out the racial injustice that still infects too many areas of American society.”
While saying he shared their “outrage,” Gomez urged protesters to remain peaceful, and not allow their cause to be “exploited by persons who have different values and agendas.”
“Burning and looting communities, ruining the livelihoods of our neighbors, does not advance the cause of racial equality and human dignity.”
In an apparent reference to the violence in many cities directed at police, Gomez said the actions of the white police officers in Minneapolis “does not reflect on the majority of good men and women in law enforcement, who carry out their duties with honor….”
The above comes from a May 31 story in Angelus News.
Were the police officers who stood by and watched/let Chauvin do what he did part of “… the majority of good men and women in law enforcement, who carry out their duties with honor….”?
Jimmy Mac, why don’t you read the new online? Chauvin was charged with murder.The others were fired from their jobs, and investigations are being undertaken as to whether or not to make further charges against them because they did not stop Chauvin.
The others didn’t stand by. They had their hands full securing the back and legs of acutely intoxicated, muscular 6’7, violently resisting Floyd.
Why do we have such crappy bishops? 1) there is no evidence that the Floyd killing was based on race. 2) burning and looting is never a justified way to make one’s “voice” heard 3) what I would hope the bishops would do would be to call those engaging in violence and destruction to lives of virtue, with the aid of prayer and the sacraments. 4) I would get the gosh-darn churches open!!!!
USCCB = DNC
Um, you consecrated America to Mary only a few weeks ago. How’s that turning out? Maybe you did it wrong?
It’s working fine for me. My home is quiet and peaceful, and so is my neighborhood. I had a lovely dinner and expect to go to sleep peacefully. Maybe because I have never taken part in a riot during my whole lifetime as the Bible tells us God forbids that sort of thing — 1 Peter 4:4. What goes around comes around one might say.
Glad you are safe but many others who pray and lead Godly lives are negatively impacted by all this random violence. It’s not a one for one exchange. We cannot control all things but we are in charge of our responses.
He was being smart alecky, so I was smart alecky right back. now I am off of here.
The Anonymous post, of course was mine — Anne TE. As I said Kevin got smart mouthed, so I got smart mouthed right back to him. It was not meant to be taken seriously by others, but of course it will. One can neither say nor write anything in this country without someone getting seriously offended. That is a given. I used to be friendly and like people, but not any more. Some will kill you if you just look at them the wrong way for no good reason at all I plan to stay out of these arguments because I want some peace before I die..
Everyone was in agreement, an outrageous incident for which those responsible should be held accountable. Rare these days for such one mindedness, but it was soon thrown out with the pure criminality of looters and vandals. Their violence has surpassed any measure of togetherness. It is still us against them – lawful people vs anarchists.
And by the way, Archbishop Gomez, OPEN THE CHURCHES!!
Everyone? I’m not in agreement.
It’s not even clear that the officer caused Floyd’s death. The coroner’s report indicates that Floyd could have had a heart attack induced by drugs and stress simultaneous with but not caused by his apprehension by police. Don’t rush to judgment. I think there’s a pretty good chance the officer will be acquitted in a jury trial. Maybe the police committed procedural infractions, for which they have been punished by being fired, but it’s not at all clear that they committed crimes, much less are guilty of murder, as many people believe.
Supposedly the family had another autopsy of its own which says he was asphyxiated and did not have serious medical problems. Which one of the autopsies is accurate or more accurate remains to be seen.
With all the fake news out there and staged videos, it is very hard to know who to believe any more unless one was there, or is an expert in some of these fields.
Chris , interesting post , I agree don’t rush to judgement , but the videos make a compelling case for guilt , also this trial is now in the realm of the political sphere, state and feds are coming after him and the three that were with him are also being charged. The body cams should with the video tell the whole tale.
Why do so many bishops think America is racist? It’s not. Reverse racism is real, though.
If you don’t think America is a racist county, you are out of touch with reality, or you have a different definition of racism than most people of color would have. Our history is full of policies that are racist. You could start with red-lining, which is still around. You can start with home mortgages that are higher for people of color, You could start with the idea that affirmative action is designed to take jobs away from White people. You could ask why most Catholic churches are lily White. You could ask why colleges are bereft of minority students. You could ask why you think we are not racist.
I believe and many people agree also, that racism is still around because the Democrats love to keep the African-Americans down and on their Democrat Plantation. They incite charges of racism to their own benefit. Instead of helping them get out of the life of poverty they keep them on welfare and assistance sometimes for their whole lives. They destroyed the Black families so much with only 20% of households have a father still living there. They abort Black babies overwhelmingly, with NYC, a Democrat party city, having more Black babies aborted than born alive. (And let’s not forget that the majority of abortion clinics are located in minority areas!) With their anti-family and anti-family policies and the Democrat platform embraces this, I’m conclude that they are responsible for racism. Remember what Judge Thomas in his documentary said (Created Equal) at the hearing on the fake Anita Hill charges, and I’m paraphrasing: it wasn’t the KKK or the white nationalists that he feared but the uppity white liberals.
Bob , wrong and emotional again mortgages are based on income, debt and credit history , the 2008 crisis showed the perils of easy mortgages , use an online mortgage tool , it does not ask for race, red lining ok where ? I mean 2020 not the past. Lily White ? no check the Pew study on the racial composition of American church’s, btw the biggest growth in Catholicism is coming from Africa and Asia .Colleges bereft of minority students, again check the stats its about 40 % minority enrollment . Bob again less emotion, more facts
Bob One king of virtue signalers…. if we are such an evil and racist country, why do some many brown and black folks immigrate every single year? Yes Bob One racism exist you know why because it is a sin, and sin is part of our broken human nature.
Racism IS real but not everything that happens is DUE to it. That’s where so many go wrong.
how bout listening to da
Holy Spirit, bishops ??
Denial, Deceit, Delusion.
Our nation, still the best nation on earth, has two long-lasting besetting national sins, racism and abortion. May God deliver us from both.
(If we think our country is the only one with racism, we’d be mistaken.) Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out against violence, though now we’re repeatedly hearing that riots are the voice of the unheard. When King said that, in the 1960’s, there was no internet or cellular telephones. There was no Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, MySpace, cell phone videos, etc. Today, people who didn’t have a voice in the past do. We even know of the tragic murder of George Floyd because of a cell phone video and subsequent posting on social media. And, let’s not forget the murder of another black man, Dave Patrick Underwood, the federal law enforcement officer who was killed here in California during recent rioting. The anger is understandable, maybe even a commendable sign of humanity. Violence is not.
O my Gosh!!!
I heard a Bishop’s voice!!
Where were their voices when the State closed our Churches and are now dictating Mass protocols?
Gomez should start by listening to the faithful of his own diocese , this is just posturing for sjw effect.