Defending the Sacredness of Life

“Since its birth, our nation has been multicultural, multiethnic, and multireligious. It was established on the foundations of: the equality of all men, the inalienable rights to life and liberty bestowed on all men by the Creator, tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and equal possibilities for prosperity and well-being for all. These ideals are written into the DNA of the United States of America, and form part of its founding documents.” And so the Prefect Card. Kevin Farrell reflected a few days ago at the Roman basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere in his meditation during a prayer vigil hosted by the Community of Sant’Egidio for “peaceful coexistence” in the U.S.A., in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd.

The Prefect recalled the words spoken by Pope Francis in his audience this past 3 June: “We cannot tolerate or close our eyes towards any kind of racism or exclusion, and merely pretend to defend the sacredness of each human life. At the same time, we must recognize that the violence of the last few nights is self-destructive and self-injurious. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost.” Finally, Cardinal Farrell called upon the Lord to “look upon all the innocent victims who died because of injustice and racial discrimination, and may their spilled blood help our beloved nation build a truly peaceful and brotherly society.”