As we celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, the United States Catholic Conference (USCCB) reminds us that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere;” that we are connected and responsible for each other as we seek to fulfill the dream and build a more just society for all God’s children.
In the statement, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, says: “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. challenged all to live out the principle of solidarity and human dignity. As we commemorate what would have been his 96th birthday, Dr. King’s message continues to have an impact on our lives today. Our Holy Father Pope Francis said in his address to the United States Congress during his Apostolic Visit to the United States: ‘Here too I think of the march which Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery fifty years ago as part of the campaign to fulfill his ‘dream’ of full civil and political rights for African Americans. That dream continues to inspire us all. I am happy that America continues to be, for many, a land of ‘dreams.’ Dreams which lead to action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest and truest in the life of a people.’”
To read the full statement, visit the USCCB website. The Missouri Catholic Conference office will be closed on Monday, January 20, in observance of the holiday.