The Washington National Cathedral announced it will remove stained glass windows that feature Confederate generals, saying the windows are an "obstacle to worship."
Cathedral leaders said in a statement that the windows in question act as "a barrier to our important work on racial justice and racial reconciliation," the Washington Times reported.
The cathedral has, for years, debated removing the stained glass windows depicting Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. The debate ended Tuesday when the Cathedral Chapter voted to remove the windows.
"Whatever their origins, we recognize that these windows are more than benign historical markers," the statement read. "For many of God’s children, they are an obstacle to worship in a sacred space; for some, these and other Confederate memorials serve as lampposts along a path that leads back to racial subjugation and oppression."
The statement suggests that the violent Charlottesville, Va. events in August impacted the decision.
"The recent violence in Charlottesville brought urgency to our discernment process. We find ourselves compelled by the witness of others, moved by the presence of God in our midst, and convicted that the Holy Spirit is pointing us toward the answer," the statement read.
The statement was signed by Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith dean of the Washington National Cathedral, and John Donoghue chair of the Cathedral Chapter.
This decision comes at a time when other governments, institutions, and universities are debating and taking action on removing statues, memorials, and other objects honoring – or even resembling – key Confederate figures.