Former KKK member turned priest encourages white supremacists to abandon ideology and find peace in Christ

A Roman Catholic priest in Virginia has disclosed his past as a former member of the Ku Klux Klan and has encouraged white supremacists to abandon the ideology and find peace in Jesus Christ.

Rev. William Aitcheson, a priest from the Diocese of Arlington, admitted in an article for the Arlington Catholic Herald that he used to burn crosses 40 years ago when he was a KKK member, and he is now seeking forgiveness for his past actions.

He said that the incident in Charlottesville earlier this month prompted him to go public about his past and share the transformation he experienced through Jesus Christ.

The protest in Charlottesville ended in violence, leaving one person dead, after white nationalist groups clashed with counter-protesters.

The priest explained that he was raised as a Catholic when he was young, but he was not serious about practicing his faith at that time. He said that he was aware of the irony that he left an anti-Catholic group to rejoin the Catholic church, which serves as a reminder of the "radical transformation possible through Jesus Christ in his mercy."

He noted that 40 years have passed since he left the KKK, and he asked forgiveness from those who experienced racism and bigotry.

Aitcheson, who voluntarily stepped down from the ministry after revealing his past, said he believes that God forgave him for his past, but he maintained that God's forgiveness does not mean that he should forget his past sins.

"The images from Charlottesville are embarrassing," the priest wrote. "They embarrass us as a country, but for those who have repented from a damaging and destructive past, the images should bring us to our knees in prayer. Racists have polluted minds, twisted by an ideology that reinforces the false belief that they are superior to others," he continued.

He encouraged readers to condemn the "hatred and vile beliefs" of the KKK and he urged white supremacist to abandon the ideology.

"If there are any white supremacists reading this, I have a message for you: you will find no fulfillment in this ideology. Your hate will never be satisfied and your anger will never subside. I encourage you to find peace and mercy in the only place where it is authentic and unending: Jesus Christ," Aitcheson wrote.

In response to the article, Bishop Michael Francis Burbidge of the diocese issued a statement saying he hopes that Aitcheson's message will reach those who support hate and division and inspire them to repent.

The bishop noted that the diocese has not received any accusations of racism or bigotry against Aitcheson as yet.