Tell EWTN CEO Michael WarsawThere’s no place for racism on Catholic TV

Posted: March 19, 2024

EWTN host and frequent Fox News commentator Raymond Arroyo has a long history of making hateful remarks that distort the Christian faith for political gain -- and now it seems the right-wing, Catholic cable network's "news" anchor is bent on one-upping himself with racism.

In a recent appearance on Fox News, Arroyo shockingly proclaimed that Donald Trump's marketing of $400, gold, Trump-themed sneakers "[is] connecting with Black America because they love sneakers! They're into sneakers… this is a big deal, certainly in the inner city. So when you have Trump roll out his sneaker line, they're like, 'Wait a minute, this is cool!'"

These tired and insulting racial stereotypes have no business on any news network, let alone EWTN, which claims to represent and promote Catholic teaching and values.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Arroyo has proven problematic -- nor is it EWTN's first brush with racism. In 2020, the right-wing network fired two Black Catholic hosts without giving a reason, sparking widespread speculation that it was retribution for their support of racial justice. The anti-Francis channel has gotten so bad that at least two bishops have even directed their dioceses to stop distributing EWTN's content.

Let's gather 12,000 signatures to show the network that a nationwide movement of grassroots Catholics and ecumenical allies will not stand for Raymond Arroyo's racism.

Sign the petition:

Dear EWTN CEO Michael Warsaw,

As the leader of the largest and most influential Catholic television network in America and perhaps the world -- and as a communications adviser to the Vatican -- we believe that you have a special responsibility to ensure that your programming reflects the teachings of Christ and the Church.

There is no place for racism in the Catholic Church or on your network. Unfortunately, Raymond Arroyo has a long history of making harmful and even hateful comments in his media appearances -- a history that now includes blatant racism. As grassroots Catholics, ecumenical allies, and members of the Christian organization Faithful America, we are deeply disturbed by Arroyo's recent statement that Black voters will support Donald Trump simply "because they love sneakers," as well as his membership on the Board of the non-profit "Catholic League" despite its frequent racist blog posts.

With this vile and insulting comment following Arroyo's softball interview of Trump and his vicious attacks on Pope Francis, it is clear he has no intention of changing his ways. It's time for you to fire Raymond Arroyo.

Thank you.

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