USCCB asks Supreme Court to uphold weapons ban concerning domestic violence

 

US arms  (AFP or licensors)

CHURCH

• UNITED STATES
• BISHOPS
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• VIOLENCE

US bishops ask Supreme Court to ratify weapon bans in domestic violence cases

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issues an amicus brief related to the US v. Rahimi case, arguing for upholding a federal law preventing people under domestic restraining orders from carrying firearms.

By Edoardo Giribaldi

"The basic principles of social order, reflected in various ways in this Nation's historic legal traditions and in Catholic Social Teaching, include the government's role in promoting the common good by protecting human life and dignity."

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops thus opened an amicus brief related to a pending Supreme Court case, arguing in favor of ratifying a federal law allowing gun bans in domestic violence cases.

Firearm possession

The document referred to the case of Zackey Rahimi, a Texas man with a history of dealing drugs who received a restraining order after knocking his girlfriend to the ground, following an argument between the two in a parking lot, and dragging her to his car, causing her head to hit the dashboard, as reported by a court filing.

After a search warrant at his home, officers found a rifle and a pistol that belonged to Rahimi, who was charged with unlawful firearm possession under a 1994 federal law that prohibited a person subject to a domestic violence restraining order from possessing a firearm.

On February 2, 2023, a three-judge panel of the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the federal prohibition was unconstitutional under the Second Amendment, based on a June 2022 court landmark ruling known as New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which overturned New York state's limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home.

Danger to the common good

The bishop's document argued that the 1994 federal law doesn't happen to be in contradiction with the Bruen case. In fact, according to the brief, "uniquely dangerous individuals can lose their right to keep and bear arms" as part of the "Congress's legitimate authority to disarm those who have demonstrated—to the three satisfaction of a judicial fact-finder—that they pose a unique danger to those close to them and to the common good."

The document stated the necessity to "be consistent with the nation's historical tradition of such regulations," referring to restriction on firearms.

The Church's duty

In this regard, the bishops recalled the words of Catholic thinkers such as St. John Henry Newman and Pope Benedict XVI, exploring the relationship of the Church's twofold duty "to transmit the doctrine, pure and integral, without any attenuation or distortion" and "to dedicate ourselves with an earnest will and without fear to that work which our era demands of us."

While the document recognized "the autonomy of the family and other institutions of civil society," it also acknowledged that that same autonomy "is not unlimited," calling, therefore, for law interventions.

Domestic violence

In fact, "the right to keep and bear arms can thus be limited in situations where possession of arms is unusually likely to harm innocent victims instead of helping, such as when the possessor has demonstrated a willingness to engage in unjustifiable violence."

The document reported Pope Francis' words in his Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia on "the shameful ill-treatment to which women are sometimes subjected, domestic violence and various forms of enslavement which, rather than a show of masculine power, are craven acts of cowardice. The verbal, physical, and sexual violence that women endure in some marriages contradicts the very nature of the conjugal union."

Protecting vulnerable individuals

The document brought up historical examples demonstrating how individuals could be disarmed when considered dangerous for others, challenging the distinction that was made between protecting society as a whole and protecting individuals. 

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"The genuine protection of political and social order is not truly a separate aim from protecting the vulnerable individuals whose moral claim on society is most pressing," bishops claimed.

The document concluded by challenging the Fifth Circuit affirmation on the task of obtaining a restraining order, which, according to the bishops, is "hardly a simple task" and "by no means assured," as "victims of abuse may be unable to afford filing fees or counsel, particularly when their finances are controlled by their abusers.

Cardinal Tobin says end killing by voluntarily forgoing our Second Right Amendment

 

Newark cardinal asks Americans to voluntarily forgo right to guns

By John Lavenburg

Jun 1, 2023

NEW YORK – Amid a mounting debate in America over the constitutionality of gun control, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark has entered the fray with a different argument: That people should voluntarily forgo their Second Amendment rights for the betterment of society.

“I honestly believe it is the best thing we can do to change the culture of violence that threatens us today,” Tobin said.

“Let’s voluntarily set aside our rights in order to witness the truth that only peace and never violence, is the way to build a free society that is lived concretely in our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities, our nation and our world,” he said.

Tobin made the plea in a recent letter, “Pray for an end to all instances of violence,” where he calls on community leaders and Catholic bishops, himself included, to call for a “synodal effort” to actively resist gun violence. He proposed a threefold process that includes prayer and work, advocacy, and voluntary self-restraint from the Second Amendment.

The letter, published May 26, is the latest call to action amid a spate of mass shootings in recent months. May 30 marked the 150th day of 2023, over which time there have been 263 mass shootings – incidents with four or more people shot – that have led to 327 deaths.

Both figures are records for this early in the year.

Memorial Day weekend was especially violent. Nationwide there were at least 20 mass shootings that left 16 people dead, and at least 80 more injured.

The data comes from the Gun Violence Archive, which has tracked all gun related injuries and deaths in the U.S. since 2013. The organization reports that as of May 31 there have been a total 17,629 gun violence deaths in the U.S. – 7,663 homicides, and 9,966 suicides.

There were 20,200 gun violence deaths in all of 2022, and 21,009 in 2021, the organization reported.

A 2018 report by the Small Arms Survey, an organization that tracks violence globally, found that U.S. gun owners possess 393.3 million firearms, which is well above the nation’s 331.9 million population.

With that in mind, Tobin made the case that while legislation and regulations are necessary, in the case of gun violence, as with all life issues, it’s equally as important to “regulate our behavior in order to protect the vulnerable and ensure the common good.”

“It’s true that we have a Second Amendment right to bear arms, but rights always involve responsibilities – in this case, the responsibility to protect the innocent and to secure public safety and good order,” Tobin said. “The mass shootings we are witnessing almost weekly now are a serious threat to the lives and well-being of all people.”

In the cardinal’s threefold synodal process, he echoes what other U.S. prelates have said, stating that prayers alone aren’t enough to adequately address the issue. Instead, Tobin said that Catholics must combine prayer with action to prevent the root causes of gun violence.

Under the second part of the process, advocacy, Tobin calls on Catholics to make their voices heard.

“As an integral part of our efforts to prevent gun violence, all Americans should make local, state and federal officials know how we feel about this critical issue,” he said. “We should make our voices heard, demanding that actions be taken to protect the vulnerable and keep our communities safe.”

The third and final part of Tobin’s process is self-restraint, which he acknowledges is a challenging and controversial proposal that won’t alone solve the problem of gun violence, but could help change the culture.

“The voluntary self-restraint that I am calling for will not solve the problem of gun violence all by itself, but it can help us change our culture from one that is obsessively focused on individuals’ rights to a society dedicated to ensuring the common good,” Tobin said.

Tobin cited Pope Francis’s statement that “violence is not the cure for our broken world.”

“Please join me in praying for an end to all instances of violence, especially gun violence in our schools, churches, places of business and in the public square,” Tobin said.

Archbishop applauds bipartisan gun violence legislation

 

Archbishop praises senators’ efforts to address ‘plague of gun violence’

Catholic News Service June 15, 2022

People are seen near the U.S. Capitol in Washington June 7, 2022. (CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn)

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ domestic policy committee on June 14 praised a bipartisan Senate proposal “to help prevent senseless violence” that includes “reasonable gun safety measures.”

“I am deeply grateful that members of Congress have undertaken bipartisan negotiations to address the plague of gun violence in our nation,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

“I encourage Congress to continue these important efforts which will help build a culture of life. It is imperative this Congress passes into law new protections for the American people,” he said.

Archbishop Coakley made the remarks in response to a June 12 announcement by 20 senators who said they had reached an agreement on a package of safety and gun-related measures narrowly focused on preventing future shootings similar to the one in Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old gunman fatally shot 19 students and two teachers on May 24.

The senators’ proposal, which was not yet written into bill form, calls for funding to encourage states to pass and implement so-called “red flag” laws to take guns away from potentially dangerous people; funding for school safety and mental health resources; expanded background checks for gun purchases for people between ages 18 and 21; and penalties for illegal straw purchases by convicted criminals.

The senators’ “willingness to engage in dialogue and commitment to the common good” illustrates “the ‘better kind of politics’ that Pope Francis champions” in Fratelli Tutti, Archbishop Coakley said, quoting from the pope’s 2020 encyclical: “For when the good of others is at stake, good intentions are not enough. Concrete efforts must be made to bring about whatever they and their nations need for the sake of their development.”

The USCCB has consistently called for laws to address gun violence.

In a Nov. 11, 2019, presentation titled “Responses to the Plague of Gun Violence” that he gave during the U.S. bishops’ fall general assembly, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, then the bishops’ domestic policy committee chairman, spelled out the bishops’ support for a ban on assault weapons, universal background checks and a federal gun trafficking bill.

They also backed, he said, regulations on sales of handguns, improved mental health interventions, safety measures and “an honest assessment of violent images and experiences in our society.”

US Bishops continue to urge Congressional action against gun violence

 

U.S. bishops urge Congress to address gun violence

Carol Zimmermann | Catholic News Service

6/6/22

  

Pictured in this composite photo clockwise from top left are: Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities; Bishop Thomas A. Daly of Spokane, Wash., chairman of the USCCB Committee on Catholic Education; Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; and Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth. (CNS composite; photos by Robert Duncan, Paul Haring, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Dennis Callahan of the Archdiocese of San Francisco)

WASHINGTON — In response to the multiple mass shootings in recent weeks, the chairmen of four U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committees sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to “stop the massacres of innocent lives.”

“We urge all members of Congress to reflect on the compassion all of you undoubtedly feel in light of these tragic events and be moved to action because of it,” the bishops wrote in a June 3 letter.

They said finding a way to stop ongoing acts violence as demonstrated in Ulvade, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, to name just a few examples, requires a broad response that examines “mental health, the state of families, the valuation of life, the influence of entertainment and gaming industries, bullying and the availability of firearms.”

And although they see a need for broad reform, they focused on guns in particular, stressing that “among the many steps toward addressing this endemic of violence is the passage of reasonable gun control measures.”

The letter was signed by Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth; Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities; and Bishop Thomas A. Daly of Spokane, Washington, chairman of the Committee on Catholic Education.

These committee leaders noted that even though work needs to be done to address the root causes of violence, there were practical steps Congress could take right now by supporting legislation to expand background checks for gun sales.

“We urgently call on members of Congress to work together in a bipartisan fashion to make these horrific attacks less likely to happen again,” they wrote.

The bishops said the USCCB has long supported measures to address gun violence and continues to do so.

Looking at specific measures, they said they support a total ban on assault weapons and limitations on civilian access to high-capacity weapons and ammunition magazines. They also cited their support for universal background checks for all gun purchases, a more appropriate minimum age for gun ownership and a ban on bump stocks — additional gun parts which dramatically increase the guns’ rate of firing.

They pointed out that while “strengthened gun laws could reduce mass-casualty events, not even the most effective gun laws, by themselves, will suffice to address the roots of these violent attacks in our country” and stressed the need for improved mental health care access and resources as well as “peacebuilding in our communities through restorative justice models.”

“Bipartisanship is never more important than when it is required to protect life and end the culture of death. We invite you to support these measures and to be part of building up the culture of life that is so needed in our society, not just as elected officials but as mothers and fathers, grandparents, and aunts and uncles of little children or teachers whom you expect to return home safely today,” they wrote.

Many church leaders in the United States call for new answers on guns, violence, mass shootings

 

File photo of US House of Representatives  (AFP or licensors)

WORLD

• ARMS
• UNITED STATES
• POPE FRANCIS

US State and Church leaders push for better gun-control measures

As mass shootings in the United States since the start of 2022 exceed 200, the United States President and the country's Catholic Bishops call for better gun-safety measures as a gun bill is being considered in Congress. Pope Francis has condemned the mass shootings and the indiscriminate trafficking of arms.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

As the number of shootings in the United States is becoming an ever-more-frequent and deadly phenomenon, State and Church leaders are pushing for better gun-control laws in the United States.

In the wake of the country’s more than 200 mass shootings since the start of 2022, President Joe Biden called on Congress on Tuesday to find a way to limit sales of assault rifles.

Appealing to Congress to act, he asked: 'How much more carnage are we willing to accept?' and called for the passing of “commonsense laws to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is taking lives every day."

Following recent mass shootings in Texas and New York, where 18-year-old assailants used semi-automatic rifles to kill 31 people, the House is working on passing gun legislation.

This week, on Wednesday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, another gunman shot and killed four people and himself at a hospital.

The Texas tragedy took place last week at an elementary school in Uvalde, where 19 fourth-grade students and two teachers were killed.

Last month, in New York, ten people were killed and three others wounded in a mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store.

President Biden is encouraging House representatives to vote for restrictions that could limit high-powered weapons like the ones used in Uvalde.

Gun-control Bill at stake

As the House is working on a gun bill,  partisan positions emerged during a Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday on legislation that would raise the age limit for purchasing semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21.

The bill also would make it a federal offense to import, manufacture or possess large-capacity magazines and would create a grant program to buy back such magazines.

Pope Francis: Enough!

Pope Francis called for an end to the indiscriminate trafficking of arms the day after the Texas elementary school shooting, saying he was praying for the children and adults who were killed, and for their families.

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"It is time to say enough to the indiscriminate trafficking of arms. Let us all commit ourselves so that such tragedies can never happen again.”

The Pope also sent a telegram to Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio, reassuring those affected of his spiritual closeness.

“With firm faith in the Risen Christ, through whom every evil will be overcome by good (cf. Rom 12:21),” the Pope also prayed “that those tempted to violence will choose instead the path of fraternal solidarity and love.”

Cannot be the new ‘normal’

Archbishop García-Siller condemned the tragedy in his archdiocese, saying, "When will these insane acts of violence end?"

"It is too great a burden to bear,” the San Antonio Archbishop stressed.

“The word tragedy doesn't begin to describe what occurred. These massacres cannot be considered 'the new normal.'"

Gun-safety measures make a difference

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, also decried that American massacre, saying: "The right to bear arms will never be more important than human life. Our children have rights too. And our elected officials have a moral duty to protect them.”

He highlighted a 2021 Northwestern Medicine study that found that the Federal Assault Weapons Ban prevented 10 mass shootings during the 10 years it was in effect to show that gun-safety measures are necessary and have an impact.

"Researchers," the Cardinal of Chicago illustrated, "also determined that if the ban had remained in place in the years since it was allowed to expire, it could have prevented another 30 public mass shootings that killed 339 people and injured 1139 more." 

Entrusting the deceased to Our Lady

Following the Texas school shooting, the President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, entrusted those killed to Our Lady of Guadalupe, asking that she “take the victims of this violence in her tender arms, and bring comfort to those who mourn, and healing those who are hurt.”

The Archbishop also asked that “God grant peace to every heart that is troubled tonight. We ask this in Jesus’ name.”

In the wake of other mass shootings plaguing the country, Archbishop Gomez prayed: “We ask that God grant wisdom and prudence to law enforcement and public officials working to make sense of the violence and keep our communities safe.”