Catholic leaders are calling for calm, restraint, and respect for human dignity after federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents killed two citizens.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), officials have arrested more than 3,000 people on immigration charges during Operation Metro Surge. There have been three officer-involved shootings during the operation, two of which resulted in the deaths of Minneapolis citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, issued a statement on Jan. 25, the day after Pretti was killed. Archbishop Coakley says he “prayerfully urge[s] calm, restraint, and respect for human life in Minneapolis, and all those places where peace is threatened. Public authorities especially have a responsibility to safeguard the well-being of people in service to the common good.” He reminded the faithful: “Peace is built on respect for people.” He is also calling for a Holy Hour as a moment of renewal for our hearts and our nation.
On Sunday, Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Archbishop of Minneapolis, released a statement calling for prayers for Mr. Pretti and his loved ones. “The loss of another life amidst the tensions that have gripped Minnesota should prompt all of us to ask what we can do to restore the Lord’s peace,” said the Archbishop. He recalled that all people were created in the image and likeness of God, both elected US officials and “our undocumented neighbors.”
Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, signed onto an open letter to federal, state, and local elected leaders, urging “peace in a time of conflict.” In the letter, faith leaders said, “Despite profound differences within our communities and our nation more broadly on immigration policy, all of our elected officials share a moral obligation to protect human dignity, preserve civil peace, and reduce the risk that more people will be harmed or even killed before this current crisis ends.”
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