Closing an 11:30 a.m. Catholic Mass last Sunday in New York City, Pastor Kenneth Boller asked Mass participants to join him in a “racial justice” prayer that acknowledged and denounced so-called “white privilege” as the church’s streamed Mass panned to images of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.
The Church of St. Francis Xavier, a Roman Catholic parish in the Jesuit tradition, showcased the images of the alleged victims of “racial injustice” at the front of the church, to the left side of the altar.
Floyd, a black male, died at the end of May following an arrest in Minneapolis. The arrest, parts of which were immediately posted to social media, sparked protesting, rioting, arson, and looting, starting in MN and reaching a number of Democrat-run cities. Body-cam footage, leaked by The Daily Mail, and autopsy results, made public in court filings, gave additional context to Floyd’s death in the days and weeks following the incident.
“I now invite you to stand, and in joining us in the prayer for racial justice, by responding ‘yes’ to each of the following statements,” Pastor Boller told the congregation.
The rest of the prayer went as follows:
Do you support racial justice, equity, and compassion in human relations? Yes.
Do you affirm that white privilege is unfair and harmful to those who have it and to those who do not? Yes.
Do you affirm that white privilege and the culture of white supremacy must be dismantled where it is present? Yes.
Do you support racial equity justice and liberation for every person? Yes.
Do you affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person? Yes.
Therefore, from this day forward, will you strive to understand more deeply the injustice and suffering white privilege and white supremacy cause? Yes.
Will you commit to help transform our Church culture to one that is actively engaged in seeking racial justice and equity for all, for everyone? Yes.
Will you make a greater effort to treat all people with the same respect you expect to receive? Yes.
Will you commit to developing the courage to live your beliefs and values of racial justice and equality? Yes.
Will you strive to eliminate racial prejudice from your thoughts and actions so that you can better promote the racial justice efforts of our Church? Yes.
Will you renew and honor this pledge daily knowing that our Church and our community, our nation, and our world will be better places because of our efforts? Yes.
A clip of the prayer, seemingly pulled from the church’s streamed mass posted to YouTube, was initially posted and denounced by Catholic Vote’s Stephen Herreid.
The clip picked up steam online when Michelle Malkin, about a half-hour later, posted the video to her Twitter account.
“A tipster sent me this revolting BLM (Black Lives Matter) prayer at St Xavier Catholic Church in NYC yesterday: ‘Do you affirm that white privilege is unfair…will you commit to helping transform our church culture’ and worship daily at altar of ‘racial justice,'” she captioned. “St. George Floyd replaces Jesus.”
A tipster sent me this revolting BLM prayer at St Xavier Catholic Church in NYC yesterday: “Do you affirm that white privilege is unfair…will you commit to helping transform our church culture” and worship daily at altar of “racial justice.” St. George Floyd replaces Jesus. pic.twitter.com/P3IoXj3GsX
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) August 31, 2020
“At :24, the new gods on display at St. Xavier Catholic Church,” she added.
At :24, the new gods on display at St. Xavier Catholic Church: pic.twitter.com/izptG2YzYn
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) August 31, 2020
Access the to full mass can be found below: