USCCB on gun control: need to confront the culture of violence

(Vatican Radio) President Obama is seeking to push through Congress a package of gun control measures that marks the most comprehensive effort in decades to tighten gun laws in the US. But what is the U.S. Catholic Church's view when it comes to a contentious issue like that of gun control? Kathy Saile is the Executive Director of the Committee of Domestic Social Development at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). She spoke to Vatican Radio's Susy Hodges.

Listen to the extended interview with Kathy Saile:

Saile says in the U.S.the "gun violence is extraordinarily high" and points out that the USCCB has consistently called for "reasonable regulation and controls for guns, especially handguns", including a ban on "assault weapons." She goes on to explain that the Church's policy and teaching on this issue "is very much rooted in our belief in the sacredness of all life."

When it comes to President Obama's just unveiled package of gun control proposals, Saile concedes he will face "an uphill battle" in getting his proposed plan passed by Congress but says there is "a shift" in public attitudes on this issue in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting. "This is the moment", she declares , to push for better gun controls and stresses that "it will be important for the Bishops to participate in this debate." "We want to build a culture of life and confront the culture of violence," Saile says.