CNA Newsroom, Jul 13, 2024 / 20:57 pm

Catholic ecclesial and political leaders across the United States offered their prayers for Donald Trump after an apparent attempted assassination of the former president Saturday evening at a campaign event in Pennsylvania.

Among them was Bishop David Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, where the shooting took place.

“We are deeply shocked by news reports of the shooting at a political rally for former President Trump right across the street from one of our churches in Butler County,” Zubik said in a statement.

“We are grateful for the swift actions of the Secret Service and our local first responders,” he added. “Let us join together in prayer for the health and safety of all, for healing and peace, and for an end to this climate of violence in our world. May God guide and protect us all.”

Bishop Larry Kulick, bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, which neighbors Butler County but does not include it, stated: “I am terribly saddened to hear about the violence at the campaign rally this afternoon in Butler County. My heartfelt prayers go out to all of those who have been affected by this horrific event.”

“Today’s events demonstrate the political tension that exists in our nation,” Kulick continued. “Violence can never be a legitimate part of the democratic process. I ask all the faithful of the Diocese of Greensburg to join in me in prayer for those who have died, those who mourn their loss, and those who have been injured.”

Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, soon after the news of the shooting broke.

“I would like to offer prayers for President Trump and all those who were injured at the rally in Pennsylvania,” he said. “We must turn from the path of violence. May the Lord bless our troubled nation.”

Michael Warsaw, board chairman and CEO of EWTN, CNA’s parent organization, released the following statement: “This is a very very sad day for our country. We need to pray for the former president and all who have been impacted by this incident. We also need to redouble our prayers for our country.”

Kevin Roberts, the Catholic president of The Heritage Foundation, who was criticized earlier in the week when he said on a podcast that the country is in the midst of a “second American Revolution” that will be bloodless “if the left allows it to be,” said the shooting was “no surprise” given years of heated rhetorical attacks against Trump.

“Today’s attempted assassination of Donald Trump is something many of us have been worried about,” Roberts said in a statement.

“When the Radical Left spends years and millions of dollars calling Trump and every conservative ‘threats to democracy,’ it’s no surprise that today’s tragedy would happen,” he said. “We must pray for our country and all our leaders, and for an end to this inflammatory rhetoric of the Left and their media accomplices.”

This is a developing story.

National Catholic Register staff writers Matthew McDonald and Peter Laffin contributed to this story.