BRAINTREE -- While not endorsing any particular bill, the bishops of the four dioceses of Massachusetts released a joint statement on July 23 expressing their support for police reform legislation.

The statement came almost exactly two months after the date that George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd's death sparked weeks of protests against racism and police brutality, as well as widespread calls for police reform, across the United States.

In their statement, the Massachusetts bishops spoke of "the sin of racism" and the patterns of awareness and action that are triggered by acts of violence against minorities.

"Meaningful debate raises expectations that society will finally emerge from the culture of racism. However, as history has shown, those discussions ultimately fade into the background as time elapses and other seemingly pressing issues make any change less urgent and somehow less important," they said.

They said this "collective mindset and cycle of inaction must end now."

"We are all created equal in the eyes of God and all human lives are to be valued and protected. It is upon us to make that human equality the norm -- not the exception," they said.

They pledged their "full support to the cultural shift towards meaningful reforms in the area of racial injustice."

While acknowledging that racial injustice and inequality underlie many different issues, including education, housing, employment, and the judiciary, the bishops focused specifically on the matter of law enforcement, voicing their "support of the efforts of Governor Baker and the legislature as they craft a bill to enact meaningful police reform."

"We acknowledge the vast majority of the police officers in the state of Massachusetts are capable and honorable public servants who serve and protect all residents with distinction. We also acknowledge that racial biases have infiltrated the mindsets and actions of some police officers. Those are the individuals targeted by the legislation currently being debated by our lawmakers. That legislation is a step in the direction of meaningful change and is the reason we support our elected officials in their efforts to address these systematic problems," the statement read.

The bishops said that recent acts of violence committed by police officers across the country indicate that police training, methods, and attitudes must be assessed and consequently improved. They said these changes must be implemented "with the expertise, input, and cooperation from as many resources as possible -- especially those who have experienced racial injustice firsthand."

The bishops made it clear that they do not endorse any particular bill in the legislature. However, they said, they "strongly support legislation that draws the best ideas from each bill creating a best practice model for meaningful reform." Specific measures are expected to be debated as the legislative session approaches its scheduled end on July 31.

"The killing of George Floyd at the hands of officers of the Minneapolis police department finally triggered a movement that will not be deterred, will not be silent and will not die. Laws need to be changed across the country. We have been given the opportunity to contribute to that change in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This will be a defining moment in Massachusetts history," the bishops said.

In closing, they said, "The time has come for all of us to do our part to end racism and unite as one race. That time is now, let us seize this opportunity always remembering more work will remain."

The statement was sent to the governor and every member of the state legislature (200 members), as well as the NAACP of Boston, The Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, and other interested parties.