Paraliturgy
Violence against Catholic sites: US Bishops urge love in response to hatred
July 25, 2020 7:25 am
Share
(CGOL) The Bishops of the United States respond to reports of increasing incidents of church vandalism and fires, and urge understanding and love in response to confusion and hatred.
The Bishops’ Conference of the United States, the USCCB, has issued a statement on Wednesday in response to numerous attacks against Catholic churches, statues, and other religious symbols.
“Our nation finds itself in an extraordinary hour of cultural conflict,” reads the statement from Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami and Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City.
Acts of vandalism and destruction
The Archbishops, chairmen respectively of the USCCB’s Committee on Religious Liberty and Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, point to numerous acts of violence in recent weeks, including an attack in Florida when a driver rammed his car into a church and attempted to set the building on fire. Numerous statues of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin have also “been defaced or even beheaded” in recent weeks, the Bishops note.
The historic mission church of San Gabriel in Los Angeles was destroyed by fire earlier in July, and the cause is still unknown.
Motives unclear
“Whether those who committed these acts were troubled individuals crying out for help or agents of hate seeking to intimidate, the attacks are signs of a society in need of healing,” the Archbishops say.
Acknowledging that the motives behind the incidents remain unclear, the Archbishops say they are praying for those responsible, adding “we remain vigilant against more of it.”
Responding to hatred with love
In their statement, the Archbishops insist, “the path forward must be through the compassion and understanding practiced and taught by Jesus and His Holy Mother.” They encourage contemplation of “images of these examples of God’s love” rather than destruction of them.
“Following the example of Our Lord,” the two Archbishops say, “we respond to confusion with understanding and to hatred with love.”
By Vatican News
Most view
3
4
Same item
(CGOL) O Trinity, we bless you because from all eternity you have chosen Mary to be the mother of the...
(CGOL) Taking care of the elderly, sick and infirm is always a difficult job, even a burden for many people....
(CGOL) A priest in Guinea-Bissau has received death threats after he posted critical comments about President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on...
(CGOL) Argentina – The northern Argentine city of Ingeniero Juarez, in the province of Formosa, is known for being hot...
(CGOL) A Christian with a mature conscience, in moral discernment, needs to understand the various aspects of the matter rather...
(CGOL) The Bishops of the United States respond to reports of increasing incidents of church vandalism and fires, and urge...
(CGOL) After nearly a decade of being caught in the middle of Syria’s bloody civil war, Christians in the country...
(CGOL) Ohio - One month after a major pan-African summit wrapped up in Nigeria, Ugandan missionary priest Father Ruffino Ezama...
(CGOL) Đức Hồng Y Luis Antonio Tagle của Manila đã đọc một bài giảng trong một thánh lễ trước khi...
(CGOL) In the Gospel (Luke 7:28), Jesus said to the crowd: "There is no one greater among men born of...
(CGOL)In his Christmas message issued on January 6, the head of the Ethiopian Bishops' Conference asks the faithfull to ask...
(CGOL) During his installation in the capital Lomé, Togo’s newest archbishop called on presidential candidates to be “servants of the...
(CGOL) With the start of the new year, a seasoned Philadelphia musician is taking on a new challenge as director...
(CGOL) Most Christians would agree it is wrong to hate someone, but it is also wrong to be indifferent, which...
(CGOL) British Cardinal Vincent Nichols is calling on the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson to allow Ukrainian refugees “to...
(CGOL) Hailed in early news reports for its opening of top Vatican leadership roles to any baptized lay person, including...
(CGOL) A Ukrainian priest described escaping from his bombed-out parish in Mariupol and said he still hopes some Catholics will...
(CGOL) Testifying against legislation that would codify a right to an abortion into Colorado law, Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver...
(CGOL) In 2014, I published a list of ‘100 Best Catholic Movies.’ Below I have arranged the list not by...
