By Emily Drooby
In the Diocese of Brooklyn, there’s an overwhelming sense of justice being served when it comes to the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin and the murder of George Floyd.
“I prayed and I think God’s justice was really at work in what we saw yesterday,” said Father Alonzo Cox. He’s the Coordinator of the Vicariate For Black Catholic Concerns in the Diocese of Brooklyn and pastor of St. Martin de Porres parish.
Paulitiana St. Hileire works with Father Cox at the Bedford-Stuyvesant parish.
“I am so elated about the verdict. I think justice is served,” said Paulitiana.”I am so happy about this verdict, but this doesn’t bring George Floyd back to us.”
Father Cox called the verdict a first step in being able to live in peace and harmony. He also called it a first step in rebuilding trust.
“Being able to trust those who are called to protect us,” the pastor said. “We are called to trust our law enforcement officials and we lost that trust a year ago when George Floyd was murdered. But now I think that trust can be restored.”
Father Cox adds that there’s still work to be done.
That sentiment was reiterated by Bishop Shelton Fabre, the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism.
“Human life is precious, that racism is an attack against human life,” Bishop Fabre said. “It reminds us of the work we must do, continue to do, as disciples of Jesus Christ.”
Protecting human life by fighting racism. That’s what Father Daniel Kingsley spoke about with Currents News as well. Father Kingsley is the administrator of St. Clare Parish in Rosedale. After the video of Floyd’s death was released, parishioners at the Queens church held a rally against the sin of racism.
Father Kingsley called fighting against racism, a pro-life issue.
“God, as you read in Genesis, breathed his life into our first parents and pronounced them good,” Father Kingsley said. “My black brother, my brown brother, my Asian sister, are all charity, are all respect, they’re all dignity. Because it’s not something that I’ve gifted to them, but it’s been gifted by the creator.”
Father Cox says if anyone is interested in getting involved in the fight against racism here in the Diocese of Brooklyn, they can reach out to him by contacting his parish.