Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a Jan. 25 statement on the situation in Minnesota urging restraint and dialogue. He referenced remarks delivered by Pope Leo XIV earlier that day at St. Peter’s Square: “Today, Pope Leo XIV reminds us that ‘the Gospel must be proclaimed and lived in every setting, serving as a leaven of fraternity and peace among all individuals, cultures, religions and peoples,’” Coakley said. “It is with this in mind that I prayerfully urge calm, restraint, and respect for human life in Minneapolis, and all those places where peace is threatened. Public authorities especially have a responsibility to safeguard the well-being of people in service to the common good. As a nation we must come together in dialogue, turning away from dehumanizing rhetoric and acts which threaten human life. In this spirit, in unity with Pope Leo, it is important to proclaim, ‘Peace is built on respect for people!’”
The Archbishop later called for a “Holy Hour of peace” amid the “current climate of fear.”
A few days earlier, on Jan. 23, about 100 clergy members were arrested at Minnesota’s largest airport during a demonstration against deportation flights.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Minneapolis-St. Paul also addressed the crisis: “Following Saturday’s tragic shooting in Minneapolis, I ask all people of good will to join me today in prayer for Alex Jeffrey Pretti, for his parents, and for his loved ones,” Hebda said.
“The loss of another life amidst the tensions that have gripped Minnesota should prompt all of us to ask what we can do to restore the Lord’s peace. While we rightly thirst for God’s justice and hunger for his peace, this will not be achieved until we are able to rid our hearts of the hatreds and prejudices that prevent us from seeing each other as brothers and sisters created in the image and likeness of God. That is as true for our undocumented neighbors as it is for our elected officials and for the men and women who have the unenviable responsibility of enforcing our laws. They all need our humble prayers,” he said.
The National Catholic Reporter contrasted these calls with statements by (Catholic) Vice President J.D. Vance, who blamed the deaths on the local political leaders who “refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement.” The article adds: “Vance’s comments are once again a moral stain on our collective witness of Catholicism—but they are no longer surprising. Given its scandal, the vice president’s cafeteria Catholicism must continue to be repudiated by people of faith.... Unfortunately, Vance is not the only Catholic who has chosen MAGA over Jesus.”
