“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19
What follows is based upon an e-mail I sent to my parish’s Social Justice Ministry.
The tragic murders at Umqua Community College took place Roseburg in a little over one month. Prayers and words of support have come forth.
Still, more needs to be done by our faith community and it will be difficult. There will be differences of opinion and approaches. Within my own family, there are deeply held ideas.
Our faith calls us and so have our bishops to address this issue as a sanctity of life issue.
Two years ago, the U. S. bishops concluded their testimony before the U.S. Senate with the following –Tragic events such as what occurred in Newton, Connecticut, and the violence that occurs in our homes and communities and around the word, should lead us to live out what Pope Benedict calls “our innate vocation to peace.” Together we must confront the culture of violence with love and work together to promote a culture of life and peace.
Since 2013, the tragedy of gun violence has come to the Overland Park Community Center near Kansas City, the University of North Carolina and now Umqua Community College. There have been 1036 mass shooting resulting in 1267 deaths and 3663 injuries. http://www.shootingtracker.com Gun violence affects all in some way.
Archbishop Blasé Cupich of Chicago concluded his October 9, 2015 letter to the Chicago Tribune – It is no longer enough for those of us involved in civic leadership and pastoral care to comfort the bereaved and bewildered families of victims of gun violence. It is time to heed the words of Pope Francis and take meaningful and swift action to address violence in our society. We must band together to call for gun-control legislation. We must act in ways that promote the dignity and value of human life. And we must do it now.
Let’s sit down together in dialogue and move on to responsible approaches to gun violence. How can we work with all Catholics in our parish and community to promote a culture of life and peace on this issue?
As Pope Francis said during his speech to Congress, “Here we have to ask ourselves. Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade.”
Bishop Cupich correctly pointed out that this applies to the national as well as the international arms industry.
We need to put the “sword” (gun) down as Jesus told Peter in the garden. We are all called to create a culture of life and peace.
In Christ and Peace,
John