Cincinnati devout Catholics aspire to amplify the Church's voice on racial and societal issues
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, in collaboration with Xavier University's Institute for Spirituality and Social Justice, Catholic Charities of Southwest Ohio, and other community leaders, will host a meeting titled 'Promoting Peace In Our Communities' on February 28, 2017. This gathering is a continuation of a years-long effort by Catholics to restore race relations and heal social tensions in the archdiocese.
The meeting was inspired by an incident in 2015 where a University of Cincinnati police officer shot and killed an unarmed black man in a car. The officer was tried for murder and voluntary manslaughter, with a re-trial set for May. Deacon Royce, the director of African-American ministries for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, stressed the need for discussion on this topic because Catholic organizations tend not to be engaged at the street level of dealing with people.
Archbishop Dennis Schnurr will celebrate Mass at 4 p.m. in the university's Bellarmine Chapel to begin the event, with Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville concelebrating. The Mass will be followed by dinner and discussion on 'embracing diversity in our communities.'
The discussion will be followed by a keynote address on 'Carrying Out Our Prophetic Ministry in Times of Racism and Violence' by Archbishop Kurtz. Bishop Edward Braxton of Belleville will also participate, having discussed his letter on the 'racial divide' at both Dayton University and Xavier University in the previous November, preaching at Mass, and participating in a panel discussion with area police chiefs and state representatives.
This meeting gives Catholics the opportunity to be engaged on societal issues such as racism and violence, as Deacon Royce emphasized. In the past, Catholics, along with ecumenical leaders and social activists, have prayed on the steps of the court house during the initial trial of the police officer who killed the unarmed black man in 2015. They also met with the owner of the Cincinnati Reds and representatives of Major League Baseball in 2015 to ask for public stands against racism and violence during the All-Star Game.
The meeting is important because it helps Catholics understand the dignity of life from the womb to the tomb. Archbishop Kurtz, in a previous call for a Day of Prayer and Peace in Our Communities on Sept. 9, 2016, emphasized the importance of asking whether Catholics are prepared to minister to all of God's people and the range of race, culture, and origin.
The U.S. bishops also commissioned a special task force to plan the day of prayer and issue a report to the U.S. bishops' conference on 'promoting peace.' Deacon Royce and others began planning an event modeled after the theme of the task force after Archbishop Kurtz called for a Day of Prayer. The collaboration between the police department and federal government in 2002 led to firearm training and cultural sensitivity training for police officers, but 'there's still more to do,' as Deacon Royce mentioned.
Archbishop Schnurr celebrated Masses for peace at four African-American parishes in the archdiocese in response to the incident. The meeting of Catholic leaders in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a significant step towards promoting peace and addressing issues of racism and violence in the community.
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