Church leaders call for prayer in wake of Navy Yard shooting

(Vatican Radio) Catholic leaders in the United States have expressed their sorrow for Monday’s tragic shooting at the Washington Navy Yard. In a brief statement issued immediately after the attack, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the Archbishop of Washington, D.C. called for prayer for the victims:

“I join people of all faiths across our community in praying for the people killed and wounded in the attack at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. I also pray for the family members and friends of the victims, as well as the first responders and emergency workers at the scene. While many facts are still unknown, our most powerful tool right now is prayer. The Church always calls us to prayer, particularly in moments of crisis. It is what we do best because it is what the Lord asks us to do.”

His call to prayer was echoed by Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who noted his own close connection to those who work in the Navy Yard:

“With all people of good will, I am shocked and deeply saddened by the terrible loss of life this morning at the Navy Yard. I have often visited and celebrated the Eucharist there. It is a familiar place. I also prayed for the victims, the wounded, and their families at the noon Mass at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center. Somehow we must restore the notion of respect for life into the fabric of the Nation. When the uniqueness of the human person created in the image and likeness of God is universally recognized, the possibility of a mass shooting is more remote.”

Twelve people were killed and eight others wounded before the shooter was killed in a gun battle with police. The motive for the attack is still unknown.