Bishop Weisenburger on Gun Violence

A recent article in the online Catholic news source, CRUX NOW, noted that the legislature of Washington State recently passed legislation to ban the sale, distribution and import of more than 50 military style firearms. The new law does not prevent law enforcement agencies from obtaining such weapons, nor does it prohibit Washington citizens from owning weapons if they already have them. However, many anticipate that the new law will greatly impact the ease of obtaining such weapons quickly or casually.  From my vantage point, that’s a critical and important step in the right direction and I pray to see Arizona take the same courageous step forward.

I referenced above “my vantage point” because I’m one of the one in twenty Americans who personally knew someone killed by gun violence. Mass shootings are painfully personal for me. Last year in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a gunman shot and killed four people at a Catholic medical facility. Among the victims was a dear friend, Dr. Stephanie Husen. Stephanie and her family were among my good friends at the beginning of my priesthood 35 years ago.  I knew her from her childhood until I presided at her wedding. To this day I remain friends with her dear parents. Stephanie’s loss leaves a void that will never be filled. This senseless act of violence forever changed a family and a community. In 2022 the United States saw 20,200 gun deaths. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the number of gun related deaths for 2023, as of April 25, is 13,285 with 7,590 of those being suicide and 5,695 either homicide or accidental gun-related deaths. I must note that while mass shootings receive extensive media attention, the accidental gun deaths and deaths by suicide have impacted countless families I have known and to whom I have ministered. There are experts who assert that mental health issues are at epidemic level. To experience such a crisis in a culture saturated with guns can only result in more tragedies. But as Washington’s legislature has shown us, we do not have to settle for the status quo. With these sobering statistics before us, lawmakers took bold action. 

I am not alone in these concerns. Reflecting on shootings across our nation, Bishop Timothy Doherty of Lafayette, Indiana, wrote “I don’t think we can allow ourselves to be passive […] Without some serious adjustment in personal and social priorities, we will continue to expect health care professionals to spend more time attending to survivors of gunshots, or first responders training to offset avoidable threats, rather than spending energy on maintaining good order.”  In a column he posted on April 25th for his Diocese, Bishop Doherty noted that he was not attempting to address one specific type of gun violence but rather he hoped to call attention to how widespread violent use of firearms has become and how it is “co-opting our preaching, whether at funerals for those who have ended their own lives with firearms, or at public prayers and funerals for those who are killed and injured by firearms.”  

As Roman Catholics we are fortunate to have the moral teaching that flows not only from the Catechism but also that of our body of U.S. Bishops.  On June 3, 2022, following the mass killing in Uvalde, Texas, senior leadership for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a letter to United States Representatives and Senators in which they stated, in part, 

“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. There is something deeply wrong with a culture where these acts of violence are increasingly common. There must be dialogue followed by concrete action to bring about a broader social renewal that addresses all aspects of the crisis, including mental health, the state of families, the valuation of life, the influence of entertainment and gaming industries, bullying, and the availability of firearms.  Among the many steps toward addressing this endemic of violence is the passage of reasonable gun control measures. In this, we implore you to join the Holy Father [Pope Francis] who, in his continued expression of grief over the tragedy in Texas, declared, “It is time to say ‘no more’ to the indiscriminate trafficking of weapons.” [bold-face emphasis added]

I take hope in what the State of Washington’s legislative leaders have done. I call on Arizona’s legislature to enter into serious consideration and debate of this pressing and critical issue as well. No doubt it is a complicated and sensitive issue, but human life is sacred and protecting it must be met with bold and sustainable action.  

Most Reverend Edward J. Weisenburger
Bishop of Tucson