Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Shelton Fabre as the next archbishop of Louisville, Ky. Bishop Fabre is one of two Black U.S. Catholics serving as archbishop, along with Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, D.C. He comes to Louisville with years of pastoral experience, first as the auxiliary bishop of New Orleans from 2006 to 2013 and then the bishop of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana from 2013 to 2022. 

Gloria Purvis welcomes Bishop Fabre to the podcast to discuss a range of issues affecting the church and Black Catholics today, most notably the sin of racism. Bishop Fabre calls this time “a watershed moment for our country [and] our church” and encourages those Catholics who don’t know how to have courageous conversations on race to visit their pastor first and share their desires to help and learn. 

They also discuss the importance of listening sessions for Black Catholics experiencing prophetic anger in response to the evils of racism today. The bishop believes that both the work of justice and prayer have equal roles to play in the transformation of our society. “Laws have an important role to play in overcoming racism,” Bishop Fabre says, paraphrasing the Pontifical Council for Peace and Justice, “but laws alone will not change the human heart.”

Finally, Gloria and Bishop Fabre talk about what’s next for the U.S. Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, which the bishop chairs. 

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Show Links:

Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love - A Pastoral Letter Against Racism

America Media’s short documentary: This historic Catholic parish fought to stay open—and won

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