A litany for oxygen from a black Jesuit.

The violence that has erupted after the violent death of George Floyd has been brought literally to the steps of churches, namely, St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, and the rectory of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville, Ky., where its windows were smashed and walls defaced.

Karen Bohaty, who lives in south Minneapolis, said she was aghast at what happened to Floyd, but was angry about the related riots and the destruction across the Twin Cities.

"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.