Regardless of their occupation, quite a few white Americans are dead set on ensuring systemic racism continues in this country. Take, for instance, a Catholic priest based in Indiana who told his followers that the Black Lives Matters movement is comprised of “maggots and parasites.”
CBS News reports that Rev. Theodore Rothrock of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carmel was suspended by Bishop Timothy Doherty of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana due to comments Rothrock made in the church’s weekly bulletin. The diocese released a statement expressing concern about the comments and detailed Rothrock’s suspension. “The suspension offers the Bishop an opportunity for pastoral discernment for the good of the diocese and for the good of Father Rothrock. Various possibilities for his public continuation in priestly ministry are being considered, but he will no longer be assigned as Pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel,” the statement read.
“The only lives that matter are their own and the only power they seek is their own.They are wolves in wolves clothing, masked thieves and bandits, seeking only to devour the life of the poor and profit from the fear of others. They are maggots and parasites at best, feeding off the isolation of addiction and broken families, and offering to replace any current frustration and anxiety with more misery and greater resentment.” Rothrock wrote in the bulletin.
Well damn, Son. Tell us how you really feel.
Rothrock was on track to take over as pastor of Mt. Carmel in August. White people really can’t help fumbling the bag over racism. Rothtrock issued a half-hearted apology on the church’s website. “It was not my intention to offend anyone, and I am sorry that my words have caused any hurt to anyone,” Rothrock wrote. He says that it’s necessary for the church to condemn bigotry. “We must also be fully aware that there are those who would distort the Gospel for their own misguided purposes. People are afraid, as I pointed out, rather poorly I would admit, that there are those who feed on that fear to promote more fear and division.” Rothrock added.
Essentially, Rothrock’s statement boils down to, “I’m sorry y’all mad, racism is bad but the real racists are the folks using their voices to end systemic racism.”
He would’ve really just been better off not saying anything at all.