US Bishops welcome Obama line on gun control

Obama with some relatives of those killed in mass shootings recently

US Bishops have welcomed President Obama's efforts to introduce greater control over the sale and possession of guns.

"Thank God there is someone who finally has the courage to fill the gaps in our shameful laws on gun control in order to reduce the number of massacres, murders and suicides that have become a plague in our country", the Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, Mgr Kevin Joseph Farrell wrote in his personal blog on Tuesday.

The Bishop described Obama's proposal as "moderate", and interpreted the vehement reaction of Congress in the light of the fact that "weapons were shamelessly sold to the lobby."

Texas now even allows holders of weapons to wear and exhibit them in public. Bishop Farrell said this would not be permitted on church property " .... our churches, schools and other places of worship are destined to be sanctuaries - sacred places where people come to pray and participate in Church celebrations."

In 1994 the US Bishops published the document 'Confronting a Culture of Violence' where they highlighted the appeal of a grandmother at the funeral of her grandson: "We hope that someone, somewhere, somehow, does something about the reasons that are bringing our children to killing each other."

That document that was mentioned yesterday by Mgr Thomas G. Wenski, Archbishop of Miami, in a statement, released by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"For a long time now, the bishops of the United States have called for reasonable policies to help reduce gun violence," said Archbishop Wenski of Miami, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development of the USCCB.

"Violence in our society is a complex issue with many facets, taking many forms. While no measure can eliminate all acts of violence which involve firearms, we welcome reasonable efforts aimed at saving lives and making communities safer. We hope Congress will take up this issue in a more robust way, considering all of the varied aspects involved.

"In addition to reasonable regulation, conversations must include strengthening social services for persons with mental illness, while being mindful that the vast majority of those suffering with mental illness are not likely to commit violent criminal acts."

In the United States, more than 33,000 were killed by firearms in 2013.

Source: USCCB/Fides/ICN