CNA Staff, Oct 4, 2020 / 02:06 am
Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, has formed an advisory council on racism, the diocese announced this week.
The Bishop's Advisory Council on Racism includes 14 members – both clergy and lay people – who will serve for three years. They will work to help identify ways in which racism and prejudice has affected both individuals and the community, and will propose and help enact a plan to counter racism and heal wounds.
"As we come face to face with the evil of racism, we must remember always that God has created us in his image and likeness," Bishop Burbidge said in a statement. "We are members of his Holy Family. Together, by the grace of God, we can achieve greater understanding and move forward in confident hope in the transforming power of Christ."
The announcement of the new council follows a summer of anti-racism protests and riots in U.S. cities, after the killings of African-Americans including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake, and George Floyd. Protesters have called for a greater awareness of, and response to, police brutality and systemic racism in America.