Fuente: Arzobispo Bernard A. Hebda
I ask all people of goodwill to join me in prayer for the repose of the souls of Minnesota House Speaker-Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, along with prayers of recovery for Senator John Hoffman and his wife.
I also ask you to pray for the members of law enforcement who are putting themselves at risk hunting down the person, or people, who inflicted this violence and terrorized communities. There is absolutely no reason for someone to commit such senseless violence on anyone, particularly those who are involved in public service.
The Catholic bishops of Minnesota and I met annually with Speaker-Emerita Hortman and I knew her to be an honorable public servant. Although we disagreed on some issues, we worked collaboratively to find common ground on others in pursuit of the common good.
Senator Hoffman is always generous with his time, as well, meeting with the bishops whenever they are at the Capitol. He is a strong advocate for the most vulnerable, and Minnesota continues to need his leadership.
It is wrong for our elected representatives to have to live in fear of violence and we must do everything in our power to regain a sense of civility in our discourse, especially when we disagree. We cannot maintain our representative republic if our lawmakers fear violence for themselves and their family members.
At this time of fear and uncertainty, we need to rely even more on our loving God and that begins with prayer – both privately and communally.
May the Prince of Peace lead us away from such senseless violence.
