Catholic Charities USA urges national dialogue on racism, poverty

Published: 2008-01-24

DETROIT (CNS) -- At an annual Mass celebrating the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Catholic Charities USA unveiled a plan to spark a national conversation about racism and poverty. "Poverty and racial injustice betray our national ideals of liberty and justice for all," said Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities, during a Jan. 21 press conference in the offices of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. Catholic Charities USA, which is based in Alexandria, Va., and has 1,700 local agencies and institutions nationwide, released a paper titled "Poverty and Racism: Overlapping Threats to the Common Good." It was handed out to those attending the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Mass. Father Snyder said Catholic Charities would use the paper to start a national dialogue on the topics that most Americans don't want to address. "This document ... is intended to start, enrich and inform a conversation throughout our country, compelling each of us to serve, educate and advocate for programs and policies that will foster unity in all of our communities, eliminate racism and significantly reduce poverty in our lifetime," he said.

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