By Vatican News staff writer
"I join people of good will in
condemning the violence today at the United States Capitol," said the
President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in a statement, following violence that engulfed
the US Capitol on Wednesday in which four people died.
"This is not who we are as
Americans. I am praying for members of Congress and Capitol staff and for the
police and all those working to restore order and public safety," he
continued.
Pro-democracy voices across the
board decry violence at US Capitol
Archbishop José Gomez’ statement came after the chaos that
ensued after hundreds of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the U.S.
Capitol building on Wednesday in a bid to overturn his election defeat.
Protesters battled police in the hallways and delayed the certification of
Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's victory for hours.
Police said four people died during
the chaos - one from gunshot wounds and three from medical emergencies - and 52
people were arrested.
Appeal to come together as one nation
under God
Archbishop Gomez went on to note that
the peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of this great nation.
“In this troubling moment, we must recommit ourselves to the values and
principles of our democracy and come together as one nation under God.”
Cardinal Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, also
issued a statement following the protests, in
which he described the United States Capitol as “sacred ground and a place
where people over the past centuries have rightly demonstrated, representing a
wide variety of opinions.”
“We Americans should honor the place
where our nation’s laws and policies are debated and decided," he
continued. "We should feel violated when the legacy of freedom enshrined
in that building is disrespected and desecrated.”
The Cardinal said he is praying for
the safety of “elected officials, staffers, workers, protestors, law
enforcement personnel, and neighbours to the United States Capitol.”
Prayers for peace
He asked all men and women of
goodwill to pause and pray for peace in this critical moment, and urged
citizens to change the divisive tone that has recently dominated political
conversations.
“Those who resort to inflammatory
rhetoric must accept some responsibility for inciting the increasing violence
in our nation,” he said, reminding believers that they are called to “acknowledge
the human dignity of those with whom we disagree and seek to work with them to
ensure the common good for all.”
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago also called on
Catholics and on all men and women of goodwill to pray for peace “at this
bracing moment in US history, a history that has been marked by one of
democracy’s greatest virtues: the peaceful and orderly transition of power.”
A time of national disgrace
In a series of tweets, Cardinal
Cupich said, “What has been unfolding at the Capitol today should shock the
conscience of any patriotic American and any faithful Catholic.”
“The eyes of the world look on in
horror as we suffer this national disgrace,” he tweeted.
He noted that for many months
Americans have witnessed “the deliberate erosion of the norms of our system of
government” and described peaceful protest is a sacred right, an essential
component of social progress over the course of human history.
Cardinal Cupich continued: “Violence
is its opposite. Violence in the service of falsehood is worse: Please join me
in praying for the woman who was shot during the rioting, and who has died, and
for law enforcement who protect us against mob rule.”
4 deaths and multiple injuries
The woman who died after being shot
is reportedly yet to be identified. More information on the shooting was not
immediately available, and a police spokesperson said three other people died
from medical emergencies during the riot.
Multiple officers were injured with
at least one transported to hospital.
Les
évêques américains condamnent l’assaut contre le Congrès
Obispos
de EE.UU. condenan el asalto al Congreso y piden una transición pacífica
USA:
Bischöfe verurteilen Angriff auf Kongress
Stati
Uniti, reazioni della Chiesa americana sull'assalto al Congresso
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