20 years from Hurricane Katrina, US bishops call to renew commitment to racial justice

On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, two bishops in the United States called on Catholics to remember the victims of tragedy and, at the same time, to “renew our commitment to racial equity and justice in all sectors of public life.”

Bishop Roy E. Campbell, Jr., president of the subcommittee of African American Affairs of the United States Catholic Bishop Conference (USCCB), and Bishop Joseph N. Perry, President of the AD HOC Committee against the racism of the USCCB, published a joint statement on the occasion of the date.

“When commemorating the 20th anniversary of this tragedy, we remember those who were lost and displaced, but we also renew our commitment to racial equity and justice,” said the prelates.

A still open wound

Hurricane Katrina, who hit New Orleans and the Gulf coast on August 29, 2005, left more than 1,800 dead and forced thousands of families, mostly African -American, to leave their homes.

The bishops stressed that “more than 1,800 people lost their lives and many more suffered traumatic experiences after the hurricane. Today, the consequences of continuous mental and physical injuries persist, and the cost of injuries is distributed unequally.”

In particular, they recalled the devastation in neighborhoods such as the Ninth Ward, of a African -American majority, where residents were forced to take refuge in attic and ceilings to escape the waters. There, they pointed out, not only human lives were lost, but also “irreplaceable objects transmitted from generation to generation, such as photographs, videos, newspapers and family records.”

The role of the Catholic Church

Faced with a late and insufficient response from the federal government, the bishops highlighted the role of the Church.

“The powerful testimony of the Catholic Church filled the gaps of an inadequate government response to tragedy. They were people of faith, moved by the heart, who helped in resettlement efforts in the new cities and supported the reconstruction when people tried to return to their homes,” they said.

Among the concrete actions they mentioned:

• Catholic charities USA He mobilized hundreds of volunteer equipment to clean and rebuild thousands of homes.

• He Catholic Home Missions Appeal It allocated more than 3 million dollars in immediate help to five dioceses.

• The Catholic campaign for human development He delivered $ 665,000 in grants to low -income communities in 11 dioceses.

• Los Columbus gentlemen contributed with 2 million dollars in assistance.

• Thanks to the New Orleans Archdiocesefor October 1, 2005, 95% of Catholic school students in the city were already welcomed in Catholic schools in other parts of the country.

A current call

The bishops warned that Hurricane Katrina highlighted not only the fragility of cities against natural disasters, but also “the reality of poverty and deeply rooted racial inequalities” in the United States.

In this sense, they urged to reflect on the words of Pope Leo XIV: “In our time, we see even too much discord, too many wounds caused by hate, violence, prejudices, fear of the different, by an economic paradigm that exploits the resources of the earth and marginalizes the poorest.”

Finally, they called the Church to be a sign of hope in the midst of inequalities: “As a church, let’s be a lifeboat in the waters of injustice.”