Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. JUNE 7, 2020 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All TERHAD the saints greet you. PP 8460/11/2012(030939) ISSN: 1394-3294 Vol. 27 No. 22 THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY 2 Cor. 13:11-13 Racism a ‘spiritual’ virus, that must be wiped out ATICAN: Much like the coronavirus pandemic, Vracism is a “spiritual” vi- rus that has spread throughout the world and must be eradicated, said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, pres- ident of the Pontifical Academy for Life. “I would compare (racism) to COVID-19, but it is a virus of the spirit, a cultural virus that, if not isolated, spreads quickly,” said Archbishop Paglia. The Italian archbishop commented on the May 25 death of George Floyd while in po- lice custody in Minneapolis and the subse- quent protests throughout the United States. Floyd, 46, was arrested by police on sus- picion of forgery. Once he was handcuffed, a white officer pinned him down on the street, putting his knee on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes. A now widely circulated vid- eo shows Floyd repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.” He appears to lose consciousness Politicians and family members gathered at the memorial of George Floyd on Thursday, June 4, 2020. (The Star via AP) or die and was later declared dead at the hos- racism from multiplying, those (who oppose of self-interest and intense competition that can ily of 7 billion people.” pital. racism) must also multiply.” even turn violent. The gap between concern “It’s not that I can say to my brother, ‘I don’t Archbishop Paglia said that just as people He said the United States has had a voca- with one’s own well-being and the prosperity care about you’ because he’s the ninth brother were called to self-isolate in order to care for tion of helping others, not just themselves, of the larger human family seems to be stretch- and I only like the first five siblings,” he said. one another, racism can only be defeated by but “I believe they have lost” that vocation. ing to the point of complete division,” the Pope Nevertheless, “I am convinced that there is a people caring for each other. Archbishop Paglia said he believed Pope wrote. great mission for American Catholicism” in the “Today we must start a revolution of Francis should consider writing a document Archbishop Paglia said that brotherhood country. — By Junno Arocho Esteves, CNS brotherhood. We are all brothers and sisters. that addresses the subject of racism, a prob- among peoples can only be possible “if the dis- Brotherhood is a promise that is lacking in lem “all over the world.” cussion passes to the fact that we are one fam- l Turn to Pages 9, 12 and 13 for more modern times,” he said. “In my opinion, the However, he also noted that the Pope’s true strength that supports us in our weak- 2019 letter marking the 25th anniversary of ness is brotherhood and solidarity. And just the Pontifical Academy for Life reflects on Letter from the as it defeats the coronavirus, it also defeats many of the same divisions that exist in the racism.” world today. The fight against racism, he added, is done In the letter, titled The Human Community, Prime Minister’s Department “not with violence but in the style of Martin the Pope said the sense of fraternity between Our ref: MHEA, 100-6/5/1 (64) people and nations has been weakened by Luther King, Jr.: with words, with culture, Date: May 12, 2020 19 Ramadhan 1441H with faith, with humanism. It is fought the the erosion of mutual trust and “remains the same way we fight against the coronavirus.” unkept promise of modernity.” The Most Reverend Julian Leow Beng Kim “It’s not enough to remain silent,” the Ital- “Mutual distrust between individuals and Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur ian archbishop said. “To prevent the virus of peoples is being fed by an inordinate pursuit May God Almighty always bless us and keep A prayer for our nation us in goodness, peace and prosperity. We are pleased to note that we have re- Leader: into the glorious liberty of the ceived a greeting letter dated April 23 2020 Let us proclaim the name of the Lord; children of God. and ascribe greatness to our God! from your goodself, together with the mes- Lord Jesus, send forth Your Spirit of Truth sage from the Pontifical Council for Interreli- All: and let this Spirit prove to ‘the powers that gious Dialogue, in conjunction with Ramad- Lord, your work is perfect. be’ how wrong they are about sin, han and Hari Raya Aidilfitri. And all your ways are just. righteousness and judgment. I would like to thank you for your warm Let Your voice be heard today O Lord, declare the power of your works to by all the nations! Your peoples and let us be filled with the greetings and am very pleased with the call O God, Judge of the nations, knowledge of Your glory as the waters from the Vatican. I would like to take this put fear into our hearts cover the sea. opportunity to call for sincere assistance for so that we may know that we are those who are in need throughout this Condi- only human. Gather us, O Lord, in Your Name tional Movement Control Order; which can and may all worship the One True God. be intensified regardless of religion and race. Best Regards Amen. Father, the whole of creation groans May the intimate relationship between the and labours to be delivered from the (A prayer composed from various Muslim community and the Christian com- Zulkifli Mohd Al Bakri bondage of corruption, Scripture verses of the Bible) munity grow stronger for universal harmony. Minister of Religious Affairs 2 FORUM / REFLECTION HERALD June 7, 2020 We are all George Floyd! ost of us must have been troubled humanity and even choking the planet. by the news of what is happening “Mamma… I cannot breathe!” Min the US in the aftermath of the Sunday Observer It would be hard not to feel depressed by horrific death of George Floyd, who was By all this. killed by police officers. All this was happening around the time These must be worrying times for the Anil Netto we celebrated Pentecost, when we cele- people there — not just the pandemic and brate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. [email protected] the economy but now, the protests in re- More than ever, we need to rely on the sponse to the horrific police brutality and gifts of the Spirit — wisdom, understand- callousness in Minnesota. represented in the US COVID-19 death toll soul-searching. ing, knowledge, counsel and fortitude — These things happen all over the world, — perhaps almost twice compared to their But Trump and the fundamentalists are to make sense of what is happening in the from time to time, but to actually see share of the population. not alone. Politicians in many other coun- world, to discern our course of action and someone’s life being slowly snuffed out on So we cannot look at heavy-handed po- tries, faced with economic challenges, to summon our courage to press on against video, almost in slow motion, to hear him licing and racial inequality in isolation partly of their own doing before the coro- great odds. uttering “I can’t breathe” and to see him from structural problems: lack of access to navirus, have been courting support from Hopefully something good comes out of gasping for life was something else. healthcare for the poor, neoliberalism that exclusivist, fundamentalist religious or these traumatic times but at the moment, it This callous murder is not something concentrates wealth in fewer hands, lack right-wing nationalist groups. is hard to say what that could be. We need that happened overnight. Many others have of balanced nutrition, regressive taxation, They subtly channel domestic dissatis- reforms to policing (especially an inde- died, victims of police brutality. For many the casualisation of labour or labour “flex- faction of the economy among ethnic or pendent police complaints commission), African-Americans, this is the reality on ibility”, low wages and loss of job security. religious majorities towards imaginary en- people-oriented economic reforms, social the streets, especially in depressed neigh- As the economy slides and after decades emies of the state – whether minorities or and political reforms. And restoration of bourhoods. Many of them dread being of neoliberal policies, many ordinary peo- migrants. the ecology. stopped by a police officer for any reason. ple are feeling the economic pain. It then We don’t have to look very far to see how Faith means we have to go where we are There is a pattern here — the racism that becomes easier for unscrupulous politi- this game is played. We are all too familiar needed, even if it is to places we’d rather lies beneath the surface, which goes back cians, some manipulating social media, to with how race and religion are manipulated not go — even if we don’t know what the all the way to the slave trade. channel the people’s frustration towards for political gain. consequences will be — or sometimes de- We thought the civil rights movement of “the Others”, the minorities in our midst People might feel helpless when they spite knowing the consequences eg from the 1960s would have made more people — whether they are ethnic or religious mi- see what is happening in the US, which the Garden of Gethsemane to the Cross.