The following statement has been issued by the Roman Catholic bishops of Wisconsin:
Dearly Beloved,
In this traumatic time, we join with our brother bishops and committee chairmen of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in expressing our anger and tremendous sorrow over the recent brutal death of George Floyd and the violence that people of color have suffered at the hands of vigilantes and unprincipled public authorities across our nation. These unjust acts have unfortunately plagued our state and nation for centuries. All of us must respond with prayer, solidarity, and solace for the victims and their families, but this continuing brutality calls for even greater effort and action.
We encourage everyone to examine any attitudes of racism within themselves or others that contribute to a culture of disrespect of the dignity and rights of every human person. As noted in the USCCB statement “People of good conscience must never turn a blind eye when citizens are being deprived of their human dignity and even their lives. Indifference is not an option. ‘As bishops, we unequivocally state that racism is a life issue.'”