Here's a statement from the Catholic Bishops of Wisconsin on the new concealed carry law:
Pastoral Guidance on Conceal and Carry Law
On November 1, 2011, it will be legal for people in Wisconsin with valid permits to carry concealed weapons on their person. The Catholic Bishops of Wisconsin offer some thoughts, in light of Catholic teaching, to assist you, both as individual Catholics and parish leaders, in discerning how to speak and act in regards to this new legal development.
First, we reflect on the true meaning of freedom. God has created us to be truly free, as we exercise our liberty to build a society of respect, justice, peace and prosperity. Both natural law and our constitutional tradition uphold this understanding of individual freedom as an intrinsic human right. This freedom includes both religious liberty and the right to self-defense. True freedom, however, is not license to do whatever we choose. Rather, it is the ability to do what we morally ought to do, to build a just society, and to glorify God who is the author of all liberty and the source of human dignity.
We are called to apply this teaching to our right to carry concealed weapons. The right to bear arms is protected under our Constitution, but like all rights, it must be exercised responsibly and in accordance with applicable laws. We are obligated to use this particular freedom with due respect for others and for the desires of those who welcome us into their homes, places of business, and other public spaces, such as churches and religious institutions.
Second, we reflect on Catholic teaching, which is committed to non-violence. While the Church has always upheld the right to self-defense, peaceful means of reconciling conflicts and differences, both as individuals and nations, is the preferred method. We think of Jesus who told His disciples “to put their sword away” rather than to act violently to defend Him in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:52). We think of the many Catholic martyrs who suffered violence and death for the sake of the Gospel, praying for their killers as Jesus did on the cross. Some of these martyrs were actually killed in churches, such as Thomas Becket, Wenceslaus, and Josaphat.
The Catholic Church has a long tradition of sanctuary, allowing people fleeing violence to take refuge in church buildings as a place of safety and protection. For the most part, this practice has worked well because most people respect the sacred, peaceful nature of such holy places. Indeed, when violence occurs in a Catholic church, it must be reconsecrated. Intuitively, we understand that acts of violence, destruction, and murder are antithetical to the message and person of Jesus Christ and have no rightful place in our society, especially sacred places.
Whatever an individual parish decides to do regarding its policy on concealed weapons, we ask that all people seriously consider not carrying weapons into church buildings as a sign of reverence for these sacred spaces.
Those who exercise leadership in our parishes and religious institutions should consider these factors in determining whether to prohibit concealed weapons in parishes and other buildings owned by the Church and Catholic organizations. This decision should be firmly grounded in our teaching and made with due regard for the pastoral reality and customs of the local community. All decisions should also reflect good stewardship of parish resources and the ability to address legal issues of liability that may arise from local decisions. Thus, we encourage you to consult with your insurance carriers as you proceed, and to consider how posting signs helps pastors balance the need for reverence in sacred space with their desire for security.
Bearing witness to the Gospel always presents challenges and opportunities. We encourage you to embrace this opportunity to live the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
The Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
The Most Reverend David L. Ricken
Bishop of Green Bay
The Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino
Bishop of Madison
The Most Reverend Peter F. Christensen
Bishop of Superior
The Most Reverend William P. Callahan
Bishop of La Crosse
I see no need to bring a gun into church. None.
Self-defense isn't an issue at Mass.
After a lifetime of going to Mass in many different churches in many different neighborhoods, across the spectrum of low to high crime areas, I've never experienced any acts of violence in the church.
No fist fights have ever broken out.
I've seen plenty of people sleeping during the homily, but never acting out violently.
However, if one is attending Mass in a bad neighborhood and has to park on a street where one doesn't feel safe or is walking to Mass in a dangerous area, I can understand carrying a gun into church.
That's not about wanting to have a gun in the church as much as having it along to feel safe when traveling to and from church.
Also, the church as sanctuary to those fleeing violence becomes lost if a criminal chooses to commit violence within the place he or she believes is filled with defenseless people.
In any event, a gun is an inanimate object. It doesn't behave in an unpeaceful manner. It can't do anything.
3 comments:
“While the Church has always upheld the right to self-defense, peaceful means of reconciling conflicts and differences, both as individuals and nations, is the preferred method,” It almost seems to me that they, like many others before them, are making the false assumption that just because someone carries a concealed handgun for self-defense, they are looking to use it. In fact it is just the opposite. It is a heavy legal, emotional, and moral burden to protect yourself with deadly force. No one in their right mind WANTS to need to carry but at least in my opinion, the emotional and moral toll would be greater should something happen and I wasn't prepared to keep my loved ones safe. 99.99% of legal concealed carriers will go with a non-violent strategy to keep themselves and their loved ones safe...if that's even an option. As I've heard it said: "Violence isn't always the answer, but when it is, it's the only answer." Drawing a concealed handgun isn't the answer for a minor verbal disagreement you might find yourself unfortunate enough to get into (over a fender bender with a hothead, for example). But when a violent criminal is threatening you or your family, no amount of smooth talking on your part will keep you safe, only stopping the threat by whatever means necessary.
As you said, it's not so much about wanting to have the gun at mass (although like you also mentioned, criminals see "gun free zones" simply as places full of victims without sufficient means to fight back, and attacks on churches are not unprecedented) but like other places where carry is banned or maybe just frowned upon, it's also about where you will be before and after your business there is finished. Plenty of families go out to brunch after Sunday mass, and while church is usually a safe place, can you say as much about (insert name of dining establishment here)? Probably not.
Though I'm in a different state, I always carry in church. I respect the sanctity of the place and I don't fear for my life nor anyone else's while there.
However, I still carry a spare tire on my way there and my priest always has his inhaler.
Preparedness is not the same as paranoia, and what kind of respect does it show for the gift of life to go about that life unprepared for dangers that would risk it?
I'm pleased to hear bishops concerned about the sacredness of the church as a space. Inasmuch as the risk of a concealed pistol violating that sacredness, l'd be interested in hearing instructions to parish priests about coins in the baptismal fount, gum chewing and removal of the Blessed Sacrament.
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