Record Staff Report
Bishop Edward K. Braxton of Belleville, Ill., will give the 12th Annual Thomas Merton Black History Month lecture at Bellarmine University Feb. 21.
The lecture titled, “Thomas Merton, the Catholic Church and the Racial Divide in the United States,” will take place at 7 p.m. in Horrigan Hall on the university’s campus, 2001 Newburg Road.
In 2015, Bishop Braxton wrote the pastoral letter “The Racial Divide in the United States: A Reflection for the World Day of Peace 2015,” In 2016 he issued a second pastoral letter “The Catholic Church and the Black Lives Matter Movement: The Racial Divide Revisited.” These were followed by two other letters “Moral Leadership in Action: All Lives Really Do Matter” and “There are No Minority Voters.”
Since the publication of the letters, Bishop Braxton has lectured on race nationally, according to a press release from the university. “The bishop’s writings and addresses are intended to invite individuals and groups to enter into conversations about important and sensitive subjects without judging others in the hope of attaining greater understanding, mutual respect and realistic efforts to bridge the racial divide,” said the release.
