Editor's Note: NCR received the following statement from the Black Catholic Congress at 11:31 a.m. Central time Jan. 12.
The statement is in response to a disparaging remark made by President Donald Trump during a meeting with a group of senators Jan. 11 in the Cabinet Room of the White House. While working on proposed immigration legislation that would have included protections for people from Haiti and African countries, Trump demanded, "Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?" The New York Times and Washington Post reported that Trump's remarks left the members of Congress "dismayed and "alarmed and mystified”
A statement from The National Black Catholic Congress in response to remarks made by President Donald Trump
The National Black Catholic Congress strongly condemns the remarks by President Donald Trump regarding our sisters and brothers from Haiti, El Salvador and the nations of Africa. As people of Faith, concerned with the dignity of all of God's people, we deplore such racist and hateful speech.
At our Congress gathering in Orlando this past July, we committed ourselves to living our Faith and working toward social justice. As we celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this weekend, his words have never rung truer:
Along the way of life, someone must have the sense enough and the morality enough to cut off the Chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethics of love to the center of our lives.
We will continue to act justly, love goodness and walk humbly with our God and all of God's people.
Editor's Note: NCR received the following statement from the Sisters of Mercy at 2:19 p.m. Central time Jan. 12.
Sisters of Mercy Condemn President Trump's Racist Remarks
Silver Spring, Md., January 12, 2018 – The Sisters of Mercy find it appalling that President Trump in meetings with legislators on January 11 apparently used vulgar and offensive language to describe Haiti, El Salvador and countries in Africa. We find the sentiment behind the comments even more troubling and agree with the spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Commission who in his condemnation noted that the language is consistent with the racist decision making and attitude that has been expressed by this Administration over the past year.
Sisters of Mercy are present in many of the countries President Trump categorized as “shitholes.” We welcome immigrants and refugees from these countries in our schools, churches, healthcare institutions and other ministries. We take offense to this description of these lands and of their thoughtful, loving and passionate people. No home of our brothers and sisters, not coincidentally here our brothers and sisters of color, should be dismissed in this manner by the leader of our country.
We, as the Sisters of Mercy, have recently condemned decisions to end Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador and Haiti; advocated against the ban on refugees from predominately Muslim countries and spoken out against the white supremacy on ugly display in Charlottesville. We are deeply concerned for how decisions made by this Administration continue to foster a racist and isolated society. Our faith and the guiding principles of our country call us to the opposite. We will continue to actively work against this sentiment in our advocacy, our ministries, our accompaniment and in our forming of young women in Mercy, and we look forward to the day when our country’s leadership will reflect that as well.
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