Policy & Advocacy
Backgrounder on a Mercy and Peacebuilding Approach to Gun Violence, January 2016
Backgrounder on a Mercy and Peacebuilding Approach to Gun Violence, January 2016
The USCCB believes gun violence is part of a pervasive culture of violence that demands a response rooted in Catholic teaching on peace, mercy, and human dignity. This background document connects recent mass shootings and global conflicts to systemic problems including the illicit arms trade, profit-driven weapons sales, domestic violence, and inadequate mental health and reentry supports. It calls for both pastoral witness and concrete public-policy reforms to prevent violence and promote restorative flourishing.
This backgrounder cites high-profile U.S. and international shootings and daily community violence as evidence of a widespread crisis. It reiterates Church concerns about easy access to guns, the unregulated arms trade, and profit-driven practices that enable violence, and it invokes Pope Francis’ call to choose peacemaking and condemn hypocrisy that profits from war.
The U.S. bishops consistently advocate for a culture of life rooted in justice and peace. They affirm legitimate self-defense while insisting guns are too accessible and endorse sensible firearm regulation. Past pastoral documents referenced include Confronting a Culture of Violence (1994), Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration (2000), and When I Call for Help (2002), which denounce domestic violence and urge protection for victims and children.
The Church must respond with mercy as well as justice. Pope Francis’ call to make compassion, mercy, and solidarity a rule of life frames the bishops’ approach: confront glamorized or indifferent attitudes toward violence, prioritize healing and restoration, and witness publicly for peace.
The USCCB urges Catholics and people of good will to press Senators and Representatives to adopt the policy measures above and to remain engaged in the public debate on gun violence prevention.