To mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the bishops of both Catholic Dioceses as well as the Methodist and Episcopal bishops in Mississippi signed a joint statement marking the day and urging their faithful to action. It read:
“As our nation gathers to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this is an ideal time for our respective Christian communities to devote an even greater commitment to fostering understanding across racial, ethnic and gender divides.
As Bishops of the Catholic, Episcopal and Methodist traditions, we are asking each of our faithful to stand with us in recognizing and rejecting continued injustice against our neighbors. As we celebrate this Easter season, a season of rebirth, let us all be reborn with a renewed spirit of love and compassion to strengthen our parish and secular communities and to not be afraid of the stranger at the door.”
The statement was signed by Bishop Joseph Kopacz from the Diocese of Jackson, Bishop Louis F. Kihneman, III, of the Diocese of Biloxi, Bishop Brian R. Seage, the Episcopal Bishop for Mississippi and Bishop James E. Swanson, Sr., the United Methodist Bishop for the state.