If the leadership of the nation’s 3 million Black Catholics had an opportunity to have an audience with Pope Francis during his six-day visit to America, which continues through Sunday, one of the key issues they would discuss is the mass incarceration of Blacks in America, explained Johnnie Dorsey.
Dorsey, vice president of the National Association of Black Catholic Administrators, said that is what the organization discussed during its meeting just concluded Sept. 16-18 in Los Angeles.
The group came together ahead of the pope’s visit to dialogue about the issues to that affect Black Catholics in America and network about the best practices taking place in the various diocese and archdiocese.
Dorsey said the organization does not expect to meet with the pope during his American sojourn, but hopes that perhaps during meetings with President Barack Obama and other leaders, the mass incarceration of African Americans for what he says are minor offenses might come up.
In Austin, Texas, where he is located, Dorsey said his chapter will conduct a march against the death penalty from a local catholic to the state capital, and they are encouraging others across the nation to take the same action.
There are an estimated 270 million Black Catholics around the world.
Pope Francis landed on U.S. soil for the first time just before 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, launching a visit that will highlight his love for the poor and his willingness to tackle the nation’s most significant political, social and economic controversies.
In an unprecedented welcome for a foreign dignitary, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters along with Vice President Joe Biden and his family traveled to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington to greet the pontiff, who arrived from Cuba.
C. Reynold Verret, Ph.D., who now serves as president of Xavier University of Louisiana, was among those who participated in the White House welcoming ceremony for the pope on Wednesday.
