Bishop Fernand Cheri III, OFM, Aux. Bishop of New Orleans, a prophetic champion of racial justice, joins the ancestors. See his afterword to Ansel Augustine's "Leveling the Praying Field." "Systemic racism is an immoral monster...The immoral monster lives in us, but so does...

...the revolutionary love of Jesus Christ. Child of God, where do you stand? Is it in solidarity with the church on the margins, or do you hold them in contempt?...I must confess that I am still learning the scope of racism in society and in the church...I confess that I can...

never do enough to promote Black Lives Matters as a Right to Life mantra and a principle of Catholic social teaching, second to none. I have learned that living in denial of racism gives you a heart attack. Racism eats away the fabric of your self-esteem and fills you with rage.