Q&A: Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien speaks out on Baltimore crime

The Catholic Review ^ | Aug. 27, 2009 | Matt Palmer

[MDJohnPaul]

In a story in this week’s issue of The Catholic Review, Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien talked about the violence plaguing Baltimore City. Here is the full transcript of that conversation.

Catholic Review: When the summer began, you had a peace summit with other religious leaders and you were hoping this would be a summer of peace. How frustrating has it been to watch everything that’s transpired?

Archbishop O’Brien: I hope some of it helped. It’s safer in Iraq and Afghanistan, I think, sometimes. Still, there are good people out there patrolling the streets and taking an interest in the neighborhoods and sacrificing themselves for the youth in the communities. If not for them, it could be much worse. We have to look at the positive side too, if not for the generosity and the self-sacrifices of a lot of good people across the faith spectrum. Certainly in the Catholic community, you think about how much worse it could have been if they weren’t doing their all. Their very presence is 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the community. It’s something that is very rare in the city. Many would come and go on Sunday. Our parishes are there for keeps and there for good. I’m just grateful we’re not giving up.

[GambrillsGuy]

Perhaps the Archdiocese of Baltimore could start preaching against the illegitimacy rampant in Baltimore. Young women with 4-5 kids, different AND missing fathers. Illegitimacy is the single biggest cause of childhood poverty, and leads to the crime that is rampant. I have lived within both the Washington and Baltimore Archdioceses. I have heard only one sermon in 35 years (and I miss maybe 1-2 masses a year) that spoke against this. It is so much easier to have an occasional march against crime than it is to preach against the root cause, because no one will have their feelings hurt. And please, I don't want to hear that it is better to have the child than to have an abortion. Don't screw around. And don't expect the Government to take care of you and your kids.

[Starboard]

Baltimore’s main tourist attraction, the Inner Harbor, has been plagued with rampant crime this summer. Not a safe place, especially after dark.

[uncbob]

Were are Midnight Basketball and the Million Man march when we need them

[from occupied ga]

We had a peace weekend raise $45,000 throughout the archdiocese.

"Never let a crisis go to waste."