At a time when the racial divide in America has caused so much pain and suffering in the world, what can be done to move towards more unity?
Bishop Edward Braxton of Belleville in Illinois said moral leadership is needed in the United States now more than ever to bridge the gap among races.
"In a time of the breakdown of a sense of togetherness among people, there is an acute need for a new authenticity," Bishop Braxton said, as quoted by The Catholic News Agency.
He said it is very important for American leaders now to promote the values of openness and compassion to others.
"When individuals bring the openness, understanding, humility, and compassion to their positions of leadership, the potential for establishing or re-establishing community is significantly increased," Braxton said.
Braxton's statements on the racial divide came in time for the second anniversary of the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, where police officer Darren Wilson shot dead an unarmed African-American teenager, Michael Brown. The incident triggered general unrest in the city, and popularised the "Black Lives Matter" movement.
The bishop pointed out that after the Ferguson shooting incident, street violence fueled by the racial divide seemed to have become a common sight in the U.S.
"The heartbreaking images of blood stained scenes of death, grieving relatives, multiple funerals, overwhelmed civic leaders, and prayers for healing and reconciliation have become commonplace," Braxton lamented.
"It is a grief that cannot be spoken and a pain that does not end," he continued.
The Roman Catholic official added that the "Black Lives Matter" and the "All Lives Matter" movements need not be viewed as incompatible with each other.
"Must it be either one mantra or the other? Can it not be both?" Braxton asked.
"We all know that the work of police officers is very difficult and very dangerous. They leave their homes each day not knowing if they will return unharmed. They deserve our respect and gratitude. Their lives matter," he added.
