US bishops urge Americans to
refrain from hate-filled speech
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| A coach in El Paso, Texas hangs asign at a makeshift memorial (AFP) |
The Catholic Bishops of the United States urge Americans to
unite following recent hate-motivated violence, and ask all to refrain from
using racist and xenophobic language.
By Vatican News
“The anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, anti-Muslim, and
anti-Semitic sentiments that have been publicly proclaimed in our society in
recent years have incited hatred in our communities.”
Three US bishops came together to issue that worrying
declaration on Thursday.
Bishops Joe Vásquez of Austin, Frank Dewane of Venice, and
Shelton Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux head up committees at the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
In their statement, they urge
Americans to “stop using hate-filled language that demeans and divides us and
motivates some to such horrific violence.”
Motivating violence
The bishops recall this past week’s raft of gun violence in
various parts of the country.
In Texas, 22 people died on Saturday in a mass shooting in
El Paso. The perpetrator had posted a manifesto online saying his actions were
a response to “the Hispanic invasion of Texas”.
The three US bishops also cite the 2018 shooting at the Tree
of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, in which an anti-Semitist killed 11 people.
Another related incident was the 2015 Charleston shooting at
the Mother Emanuel AME Church, in which a white supremacist killed 9 people at
a Bible study.
Racism and xenophobia
Bishops Vásquez, Dewane, and Fabre express their deep
concern over the racism that motivated these deadly attacks.
They also call on elected officials to heal the wounds
caused by these shootings and to deal with the xenophobia and religious bigotry
found at their root.
Specifically, the bishops ask US leaders to refrain from
using dehumanizing language that polarizes people based on race, ethnicity,
religion, or national origin.
Finally, the three US bishops call on all Americans to come
together “as a great, diverse, and welcoming people.”
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