Arlington, Va., Aug 10, 2018 / 10:35 am
The bishops of Virginia offered prayers for peace and a renewed sense of human dignity ahead of the one-year anniversary of a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville.
"Racism is a sin. As the U.S. Bishops wrote in 1979 – 'a sin that divides the human family,'" said Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond in a statement.
"Prayer – individually and as a faith community – is a start in addressing racism and to help heal from the effects of racism, but it cannot be an occasional act and it shouldn't be confined to one day," the bishop said.
"I pray that during this time when we are challenged by divisions that we commit to praying, listening, learning, thinking and working for peace, justice and an end to racism."