The new pastoral letter on racism was approved by the bishops, 241 to 3, on Nov. 14.

Shining a light on the truth, followed by some sort of atonement, seemed the right thing to do, especially at a time of rising and relegitimized white supremacy in the United States.

I cannot continue to hide the enduring pain that I feel because of a vile and humiliating incident 30 years ago.

The film cuts through that numbness, painting a mural of human emotion where media portrayals of violence offer only a drop of splattered paint.

The U.S. Catholic bishops voted to accept the first pastoral letter against racism in almost 40 years.