Chief spokesman for the Vatican Reverend Federico Lombardi has spoken out strongly in favor of President Obama’s rallying for new gun legislation in the US that would reinstate the assault weapons ban and mandate background checks for the purchase of guns.
The Associated Press reports that the Vatican, through chief spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi, said that 47 religious leaders have appealed to US Congress to "to limit firearms that are making society pay an unacceptable price in terms of massacres and senseless deaths.”
In an editorial on Vatican Radio, Reverend Lombardi added that "I am with them.”
"The initiatives announced by the American administration for limiting and controlling the spread and use of weapons are certainly a step in the right direction," Lombardi said.
The Reverend went on to say that America possesses "about 300 million firearms," and that "people cannot fool themselves that it is enough to limit the number and use (of guns) to impede in the future horrendous massacres like that of Newtown that shook the conscience of America and world, as well as that of children and adults."
"But it would be worse to be satisfied with words" of condemnation alone, Lombardi said. And while massacres are "carried out by unbalanced or hate-driven persons, there is no doubt that they are carried out with firearms," said Lombardi.
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Lombardi went on to emphasize the renewed Vatican appeals for disarmament and encouragement for measures to fight "the production, commerce and contraband of all types of arms," an industry fueled by "enormous economic and power interests."
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seanomelb | Jan 23, 2013, 01:08 AM EST
Present one piece of information where Obama has stated "I want to disarm rural white Americans" youre comment is blantantly racist.
falconflash | Jan 22, 2013, 07:33 PM EST
Seanie, he strangely doesn't give a hoot about black on black murder. His goal is to disarm rural whites who are of Irish and Scotch Irish heritage. Those are the folks who sent the British out of the USA.
seanomelb | Jan 22, 2013, 01:45 AM EST
Many times flash he abhors the gun culture that murders American children.
falconflash | Jan 22, 2013, 12:58 AM EST
The Pope once asked the children of Ireland to turn away from violence, a message to both Catholic and Protestants.....has anybody ever heard this Obama ask the young children of Chicago to turn away from violence? Of course not.
EphraimKibbey | Jan 22, 2013, 12:52 AM EST
Dompedro - Obama HAS addressed it and did so again in his speech today. You are right that criminal activity, domestic violence and gang rivalry are all greater sources of gun deaths than mental illness. The press just gives it more air time. That is why the President is seeking a many faceted remedy. The universal background check and up-to-date database will not only reduce the number of guns reaching the mentally impaired but also those judged guilty of crimes and domestic violence. If you beat up your wife, she gets a court order against you and your days of buying guns privately are over. You go to buy a gun, you lie on the form, the seller makes the call, the database catches you in your lie and dispatches an ATF agent to lock you up. Senate radification of a permanate leader to the ATF (GOP filabustered since Obama took office) and a crack down on illegal car trunk gun dealers, by the ATF, will help the "Mayors against ILLEGAL guns" reduce the flow of illegal arms into the inner cities where much of what concerns you transpires. The solutions will not be perfect but they should reduce illegal guns with only minimal inconvenience for legal gun owners. Firearms dealers should be drooling at the thought of a 40% increase in the number of transfer fees and so this might even create a few jobs. The only ones who really are unhappy are the firearms industries who will see a hits to their bottom lines. If you own S&W, Colt or Ruger stock, you may want to take your profits while they are still high and rebuy them after they bottom out. Oh and if you know any straw purchasers in Arizona for the Mexican Cartels you may want to advise them to find another line of work.
aloistmartin | Jan 21, 2013, 09:29 PM EST
With the Starship Enterprise at your right hand; Who needs a Winchester 44 Carbine on the mantel, DRM Free Celebrity/Royal Wardrobe Malfunction; or an old Knapsack full of good Ale&Chesse, and a pair of sturdy Walking Shoes ?
seanomelb | Jan 21, 2013, 07:08 PM EST
Now Wee Willy the Anglican church have also welcomed Obama's changes to gun laws. 20% of the population have mental problems(health dept. figures)and 20% of the mentally ill have serious problems. Their are 80 million gun owners in the U.S. therefore 16% million gunowners have mental health problems and 20% of them(3.2 million) are raving gun totin lunatics.
Will Hamilton | Jan 21, 2013, 05:45 PM EST
Middle aged male virgins in Rome try sticking their noses into a debate on the delusional premise that they know what they're talking about.
seanomelb | Jan 21, 2013, 05:44 PM EST
I find it quite amusing that the right wing Cathloics below choose to ignore the pope when it suits them and denigrate those who choose to ignore the pope on other issues. What a load of sanctimonious hypocrites the Catholic gun lovers are.
Scrivner | Jan 21, 2013, 05:21 PM EST
Since when is IC complimenting the Papacy? As others have pointed out elsewhere, none of the 20-some items listed by His Royal Pompouness would have stopped the Sandyhook massecre or even the Aurora Colorado slayings. Of course it would mean a great deal more Federal hiring to implement these new controls...
NYCFiredog | Jan 21, 2013, 05:01 PM EST
Yes rampages are carried out with guns on the main. So THAT means we must get rid of our guns? Using that logic with knives and stabbing murders, empty your kitchen drawers, Father. I'm about to buy a shotgun and a hand gun which will be safely locked with easy access IF an intruder is breaking into our house to rob and endanger my family. I'm now living in Texas where citizens are allowed to defend themselves and their families. And if I'm carrying a concealed handgun where a rampaged is out to harm anyone ELSE, and I'm present, I won't sit helplessly, cowering and waiting for the police to arrive. The only ones endangered by my guns are the bad guys. It takes a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun. And MANY good Americans with guns to discourage Government tyranny.
Jimsales74 | Jan 21, 2013, 03:34 PM EST
Of course the Church favors gun control, it's sole purpose for 2000 years has been to control the masses that they might know their betters are in charge, and know what's best because their positions over us are by Gods own will. After all, once it was not just against the law for the peasants to have arms, but a sin. Why should that position be any different today?
Dompedro | Jan 21, 2013, 02:14 PM EST
Neither the Vatican nor the White House are willing to address the situation where far more murders occur than anywhere else in the U.S. : black on black violence in the "Hood". Ed Davis (top cop Boston) was on TV the other day extolling the 23 decrees; he apparently thinks that the gangsta in Southie will order up a background check when he wants to sell a gun to his Bro in Roxbury. And have you ever heard the man from Chicago who now lives in Washington say anything about gun control in South Chicago?
kilaspy | Jan 21, 2013, 02:14 PM EST
Lombardi mind your own business.
falconflash | Jan 21, 2013, 02:13 PM EST
Doesn't the Vatican realize that after they take away the second amendment they will try to take away the "right to worship?" The Vatican should realize that any praise for Obama only strengthens his pro abortion stance. That's the way he thinks and plots.
mccannon | Jan 21, 2013, 01:04 PM EST
Obama is a joke. He thinks he is a Dictator instead of a President. He is messing with our 2nd Amendment rights and we are not happy!
pndirishandprou | Jan 21, 2013, 10:41 AM EST
Well, that is not going to go down well with the right-wing, conservative Irish-American crowd.
Fran Connor | Jan 21, 2013, 10:20 AM EST
I wonder what they think about his third term abortion policy.
PhlutiePhan | Jan 21, 2013, 10:12 AM EST
Once again, the Catholic leaders go to the throne of King Herod and bow in submission. TheVatican is afraid to confront the incumbent over extreme abortion policies so they assuage any positive vibes at all to infratiate their with the extreme left wing government. The same thing happened with Mussolini and Hitler. I wonder how that worked out!
wjb1tex | Jan 21, 2013, 10:09 AM EST
Banning guns makes about as much sense as banning Priests to save the altar boys.
patrickesq | Jan 21, 2013, 09:27 AM EST
Banning military assault weapons of mass destruction is a cause all religions can and should join. The Vatican and other religious leaders who have made this public plea/prayer for sensible gun control laws are to be commended.
crny925 | Jan 21, 2013, 09:21 AM EST
Ironic how this is newsworthy when it suits your Liberal agenda! Since when does IrishCentral care what the Vatican thinks or praises... give me a break!