The Pope called for more gun control in the United States after the horrific mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas, and a Cardinal in Chicago agreed.
Pope Francis spoke about the shooting from St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican during his weekly general audience.
“I am praying for the children and adults who were killed, and for their families. It is time to say enough to the indiscriminate trafficking of arms,” Francis said Wednesday.
“Let us all make a commitment, so that tragedies like this cannot happen again,” he added.
Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, agreed in a long statement via Twitter.
“The size of the crisis, and its sheer horror, make it all too easy to toss up one’s hands and declare: Nothing can be done. But that is the counsel of despair, and we are a people of hope. What do we hope for our children?” he tweeted.
“The Second Amendment did not come down from Sinai,” Cupich added.
“The right to bear arms will never be more important than human life,” he added. “Our children have rights too. And our elected officials have a moral duty to protect them.”
The two Catholic leaders joined a throng of voices calling for increased restrictions on gun ownership rights. Among those was Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr who excoriated politicians for not passing more gun control.
On Wednesday, law enforcement authorities in Texas said all of the victims of the mass shooting had been identified. There were 19 student murder victims, two teacher murder victims, and the shooter was killed as well. Another 17 were injured.
One 10-year-old girl remained in serious condition on Wednesday, while another 9-year-old and a 10-year-old were in good condition.
Here’s more about the Pope’s gun statement:
Pope Francis ‘Heartbroken’ By Texas School Shooting, Calls For Gun Control www.youtube.com