US Bishops, Pope Francis on Martin Luther King Jr Day

Dr Martin Luther King Jr image USCCB

Source: Vatican News/USCCB

Archbishop José H Gomez, President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the following statement on Martin Luther King Jr Day.

For much of the past year, America has been reckoning with the legacy of slavery and the persistence of racial injustice in our country. Sadly, it is still true that the "colour of our skin" often matters more in our society than the "content of our character," as Rev Martin Luther King, Jr, said a half-century ago.

This year as we commemorate the legacy of this great American, we remember especially Rev King's belief in nonviolence and the power of love.

As we witnessed in the violence in our cities last summer and in the violence that broke out again last week at the Capitol in Washington, DC, our country has become too angry, too bitter, and too divided.

And as we confront our deep divisions, we face the same choices that Rev King and the civil rights movement faced. For us, too, the question is how will we struggle against the injustices in our society, what means will we use?

In 1958, Rev King wrote: "Along the way of life, someone must have the sense enough and the morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethics of love to the centerof our lives." This is the challenge for every one of us who believes in the promise of America and seeks to renew the soul of this great nation.

In the spirit of Rev King, we must meet the forces of hate and ignorance with the power of love. We must learn again the wisdom of the Gospel and love our enemies and bless those who oppose us. In this moment, Rev King would counsel everyone in public life to seek reconciliation and reject the easy temptation to reprisals and recrimination.

We do not love those who oppose us because they are loveable, or even likeable, Rev King once said. We love them because God loves them. And by our love, we seek their conversion and friendship, not their humiliation. This is our Christian duty in this moment - to be healers and peacemakers, to overcome evil and lies, not by more of the same, but with words of truth and works of love.

We ask our Blessed Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace, to guide us in this moment of transition and uncertainty in our country. May she help us to keep believing in the power of love.

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Pope Francis sent a message to participants at a commemorative service honouring the life and achievements of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, yesterday, in which he recalled Dr King's peaceful activism for harmony and equality for all people. The 'Beloved Community Commemorative Service' on 18 January was the culminating event of a weeklong celebration of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's life and legacy.

Greeting all those taking part, the Pope wrote: "In today's world, which increasingly faces the challenges of social injustice, division and conflict that hinder the realization of the common good, Dr King's dream of harmony and equality for all people, attained through nonviolent and peaceful means, remains ever timely."

Pope Francis went on to quote from his encyclical, Fratelli tutti, saying: "Each one of us is called to be an artisan of peace, by uniting and not dividing, by extinguishing hatred and not holding on to it, by opening paths of dialogue."

"In this way, we will be able to see ourselves, not as 'others' - but as neighbours, in the truth of our shared dignity as children of Almighty God. Only by striving daily to put this vision into practice can we work together to create a community built upon justice and fraternal love," he said.

Pope Francis concluded by invoking the divine blessings of wisdom and peace upon all present at the Commemorative Service.