(LifeSiteNews) — In response to escalating tensions between federal immigration agents and protesters, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has invited fellow bishops and priests across the nation to offer a Holy Hour for peace in their dioceses and parishes.
“Let us pray for reconciliation where there is division, for justice where there are violations of fundamental rights, and for consolation for all who feel overwhelmed by fear or loss,” wrote Archbishop Paul Coakley in a formal statement issued Wednesday.
Elected president of the USCCB last November, the archbishop of Oklahoma City said that recent incidents involving federal immigration personnel, which led to the deaths of three individuals, fall short of a society inspired by the teachings of Jesus Christ.
“The recent killing of two people by immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis and that of a detained man in Texas are just a few of the tragic examples of the violence that represent failures in our society to respect the dignity of every human life,” he wrote.
On January 7, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good as she attempted to flee during operations in Minnesota. Later, on January 24, two Border Patrol agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti. The FBI is leading the investigation into Pretti’s death, and the two agents who shot him have been placed on leave.
Critics of the two shootings, both captured on video, argue that officers used excessive force and the victims did not pose a threat to their lives. Others claim that Good attempted to run over the federal agent and he shot her in self-defense. They further point out that Pretti had arrived on scene with a weapon, yelled and spit at immigration agents, and kicked out a taillight on one of their vehicles.
READ: Cardinals Tobin, Cupich, other bishops sound off about Minnesota while ignoring doctrinal abuses
Coakley’s statement also refers to an incident involving Cuban immigrant Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old father and registered sex offender. On January 3 Campos died in custody at an ICE detention center in Texas. ICE claimed Campos had attempted suicide and security guards tried to save his life, but a witness said that guards pinned Campos and choked him to death. An autopsy report issued by the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office pronounced Campos’s death a homicide, meaning that “a person causes the death of another one, regardless of intent.”
Following his invitation for brother bishops and priests to offer a Holy Hour of Eucharistic adoration, Coakley encouraged “Catholics everywhere to participate, whether in parishes, chapels, or before the Lord present in the quiet of their hearts for healing in our nation and communities.”
“May this Holy Hour be a moment of renewal for our hearts and for our nation,” Coakley prayed. “Entrusting our fears and hopes to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us ask the Lord to make us instruments of his peace and witnesses to the inherent dignity of every person.”
Several Catholic bishops weigh in on Minnesota upheaval
Multiple Catholic bishops have shared their thoughts on the recent tragedies. Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Minneapolis-St. Paul urged everyone to see each other “as brothers and sisters created in the image and likeness of God” and to “restore the Lord’s peace.”
Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester called on immigration authorities to “limit themselves, at least for the time being, to rounding up undocumented people who have committed serious crimes.” He also admonished “political leaders” for “stirring up resentment against officers who are endeavoring to enforce the laws of the country” and urged protesters to “cease interfering with the work of ICE.”
Using perhaps more acute rhetoric were left-leaning Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago and Joseph Tobin of Newark. Cupich compared the events of Minnesota to those in World War II. “The Holocaust didn’t begin when they opened concentration camps. It began with words, and I think that we have to keep that in mind and learn from history that words do matter,” he said.
For his part, Tobin said ICE is a “lawless” organization that is part of “the machinery of death” and should be defunded by Congress.
