US bishops call for 'true debate' on gun violence

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In the aftermath of the recent shootings in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, Bishop Frank J Dewane of Venice, Florida, Chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishop's Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, has urged national leaders to engage in a true debate about solutions to gun violence.

The full statement follows:

"For many years, the Catholic bishops of the United States have been urging our leaders to explore and adopt reasonable policies to help curb gun violence. The recent and shocking events in Las Vegas and Sutherland Springs remind us of how much damage can be caused when weapons-particularly weapons designed to inflict extreme levels of bloodshed-too easily find their way into the hands of those who would wish to use them to harm others.

Violence in our society will not be solved by a single piece of legislation, and many factors contribute to what we see going on all around us. Even so, our leaders must engage in a real debate about needed measures to save lives and make our communities safer. The USCCB continues to urge a total ban on assault weapons, which we supported when the ban passed in 1994 and when Congress failed to renew it in 2004.

In addition, the bishops have supported:

Measures that control the sale and use of firearms, such as universal background checks for all gun purchases;

Limitations on civilian access to high-capacity weapons and ammunition magazines;

A federal law to criminalize gun trafficking;

Improved access to mental health care for those who may be prone to violence;

Regulations and limitations on the purchasing of handguns; and

Measures that make guns safer, such as locks that prevent children and anyone other than the owner from using the gun without permission and supervision.

While acknowledging the Second Amendment of the US Constitution and related jurisprudence, we live in a fallen world with daily advances in modern technology. Some weapons are increasingly capable of easily causing mass murder when used with an evil purpose. Society must recognize that the common good requires reasonable steps to limit access to such firearms by those who would intend to use them in that way."