Church leaders call for prayers after shooting at Trump rally

Donald Trump

Source: USCCB/Vatican News

Church leaders have expressed their concern and called for prayers after the shooting incident at Donald Trump's campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Mr Trump suffered a minor injury. Two people were killed and two remain in a critical condition.

In a statement issued in the wake of the attack, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, said: "Together with my brother bishops, we condemn political violence, and we offer our prayers for President Trump, and those who were killed or injured. We also pray for our country and for an end to political violence, which is never a solution to political disagreements."

Archbishop Broglio invited "all people of goodwill to join us in praying for peace in our country," and invoked the prayers of Mary, Mother of God and Patroness of the Americas.

The Bishop of Pittsburgh, David Zubik, expressed deep shock at news of the shooting, which occurred "right across the street from one of our churches." He invited prayers "for the health and safety of all, for healing and peace, and for an end to this climate of violence in our world."

In a statement issued late Sunday morning, the Holy See expressed its "concern about last night's episode of violence, which wounds people and democracy, causing suffering and death."

The statement went on to say that the Holy See is "united in the prayer of the US bishops for America, for the victims, and for peace in the country, that the motives of the violent may never prevail."