"Indifference is not an option," said the chairmen of seven committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. They stated "unequivocally" that "racism is a life issue."

“We cannot turn a blind eye to these atrocities and yet still try to profess to respect every human life,” the bishops said. “We serve a God of love, mercy, and justice.”

"Until we take the human dignity of each and every person—regardless of the circumstances of their lives—serious(ly), there will continue to be a loss of life due to racism," Bishop Shelton T. Fabre said.

Black and brown Americans continue to speak out against police misconduct and pervasive racism across the United States, writes Olga Segura. The church has an opportunity to show that it is listening.

The Catholic peace organization said it stands "in solidarity with our siblings in Minneapolis who are protesting white supremacy with their voices and their bodies, and we recommit ourselves to working to dismantle systemic racism in all its forms."

The video of a Minneapolis police office pressing his knee on the neck of a handcuffed African American man has elicited expressions of shock, outrage, and pain throughout the country, including from the religious community.