Washington D.C., Jan 6, 2021 / 05:57 pm (CNA).- Catholic bishops strongly condemned pro-Donald Trump protesters’ incursion that penetrated the Capitol Building Wednesday as Congress debated the certification of the presidential election results, leading to the evacuation of lawmakers and the deadly shooting of one protester by law enforcement.
“I join people of good will in condemning the violence today at the United States Capitol,” Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Jan. 6. “This is not who we are as Americans. I am praying for members of Congress and Capitol staff and for the police and all those working to restore order and public safety.”
“The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of this great nation,” he added. “In this troubling moment, we must recommit ourselves to the values and principles of our democracy and come together as one nation under God.”
In his own statement, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco added: “To attack the U.S. Capitol to express your fear that democracy has been denied is wrong, and also counterproductive. Doubts about free and fair elections cannot be redressed by violence against democratic institutions.”
“To the deaths from a pandemic, and destruction wreaked on people’s livelihoods, we do not need to add an attempted civil war. I called for an end to violence in the streets when it happened this summer. I call on every American of good will to denounce this violence against our nation’s Capitol now.”
“May the Prince of Peace put an end to this strife, and bring healing and constructive criticism in the place of mob rule. And may God bless America,” the archbishop said.
Gomez entrusted the country to the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking, “May she guide us in the ways of peace, and obtain for us wisdom and the grace of a true patriotism and love of country.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Twitter account said, “Lord God of peace, hear our prayer.”
It also broadcast a prayer from the National Shrine: “Let us pray for peace in our nation. Mary Immaculate, pray for us!”
Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore called the protests “shocking and unlawful.”
“We fervently pray for peace and for God’s protection over our country, our lawmakers, and all those in harm’s way this terrible day. May peace-loving Americans of good will throughout the United States come together to engender peace, reconciliation and healing in our wounded and broken nation, which remains and must always be one, under God.”
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn called for prayer for the nation “on this unprecedented day of national chaos, so that we can return to the rule of law.”
“We are better than this. We as a people have always respected our differences. The peaceful transfer of power is the hallmark of our democracy,” he said.
Please join me in praying for our Nation on this unprecedented day of national chaos, so that we can return to the rule of law. We are better than this. We as a people have always respected our differences. The peaceful transfer of power is the hallmark of our democracy.
— Bishop DiMarzio (@BpDiMarzio) January 6, 2021
The protests seeking to overturn the presidential election results followed various claims that the presidential ballot results in some states were fraudulent. Some protesters appeared to think there was still a path for President Donald Trump to win the presidency, despite presumptive President-Elect Joe Biden’s decisive electoral college victory.
More than 150 Republican lawmakers sought to question the legitimacy of election results in some states, but Vice President Mike Pence, who can vote to break ties in the U.S. Senate, refused any suggestion that he act to block certification of the election.
Trump himself has stoked claims that the election was stolen and has not conceded, even in the same statements in which he has told protesters to go home. Twitter has started to remove some of his posts, and Facebook has removed some of his videos.
In a Wednesday morning appearance at a rally outside the White House, Trump encouraged supporters to march to the capitol. Some protesters clashed with police, while others intimidated capitol guards into retreating without significant contact.
Some wore “Make America Great” hats or other regalia associated with Trump’s campaign. Many carried U.S. flags or Donald Trump flags and some carried Confederate flags.
Some protesters attacked news media, while dozens of others pressed forward into the Capitol Building in defiance of capitol police, breaking windows and forcing open doors.
Lawmakers took shelter, sometimes in their offices, and put on gas masks after security used gas masks in their defense, the Associated Press said. Protesters occupied the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the chambers of Congress.
Critics of the president, including some Republicans, blamed him for inciting the protesters.
At least one bomb was found at the headquarters of the Republican National Committee in D.C., at least one other device was discovered on the U.S. Capitol grounds, and a suspicious package at the Democratic National Committee headquarters was under investigation, the New York Times reported.
Pence called out the national guard to support law enforcement in the capital. After the capitol building was secured, Pelosi recalled lawmakers to certify the election results.
Another bishop who spoke out against the protests was Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport.
“There are few words that can describe the shock I feel to see our Capitol Building occupied by violent rioters. As Americans, we should be deeply disturbed to see an important symbol of freedom and liberty in our nation violated in such a way. Our nation is better than that,” he said on Twitter.
There are few words that can describe the shock I feel to see our Capitol Building occupied by violent rioters. As Americans, we should be deeply disturbed to see an important symbol of freedom and liberty in our nation violated in such a way. Our nation is better than that. 1/4
— Bishop Frank Caggiano (@BishopCaggiano) January 7, 2021
“The peaceful transfer of power is one of the most important and revered aspects of our democracy,” he continued. “We must recommit ourselves to the values we hold dear as Americans: democracy, freedom, and peace.”
“As people of faith, we condemn violence in all its forms as a moral betrayal of the Gospel,” he said. “We also know that our nation needs prayer, now more than ever, so that we may always remain one nation, under God.”
The bishop asked people to join in prayer for the U.S. “during this unprecedented and frightening time in our history.”
“Let us pray for peace in our communities, in our capital, in our Country, but most of all, in our own hearts,” he said.
Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler invoked the feast of the Epiphany, saying, “We pray for peace and for Christ to shine in this traditional feast of the Epiphany. It is a sad day for our nation but God is with us,” he said. “We have to turn to God and really remember that we claim to be a nation under God.”
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago called the event a “national disgrace”, adding, “We pray for peace at this bracing moment in U.S. history, a history that has been marked by one of democracy’s greatest virtues—the peaceful and orderly transition of power.”
The incident at the Capitol follows significant disruptions and unrest across the U.S. last year.
The death of George Floyd, a Black man, while he was being detained by Minneapolis police helped spark nationwide protests for weeks. Protesters often peacefully advocated against police brutality and for racial justice under the motto “Black Lives Matter.” Some of these protests turned violent, causing billions of dollars in damage and several deaths.
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It is good of course that sanity is being preserved in some places.
What stakes me in that gender madness (read “the denial of the reality”) is how anti-women it is. A group of men will not likely feel endangered by the presence of one or two biological females in their changing rooms/toilets/sports while women, forced to put up with a biological male in women-only spaces, will. This law spits on women – on who a woman is – and especially on those women who are victims of assaults/have a high level of anxiety.
Honestly, I do not know the Western law more misogynistic than this because it is not about who a woman can be i.e. profession restrictions or whatever but about who a woman is i.e. the most basic biology-determined need of women to have female-only spaces and feel safe. It is a level of a body which does not even need a religion to back it up.
Considering that roughly a half of humanity are females, the rights of 50% are thrown away for the sake of satisfying 1% (?) or less.
The sports side of this gets talked about a lot, and it should. It affects a lot of young girls, teens, and young women and puts them in the position of sacrificing either their safety and modesty, or their sport.
The women in prison who are forced to share a cell with a “transgender” convicted rapist don’t have even that option. Nearly 60% have been through sexual violence, while about 80% have been through domestic abuse. Misogyny at its finest. They act like that man’s feelings are more important than that woman’s right to not be raped.
“Mr. President – Bishop Gruss is on line one.”
Thanks to Fr. Pivonka for his clear, measured statement.
Let’s see if other Catholic universities are up to the challenge.
I agree that men and women should not compete against each other in most sports because men have the advantage. Sadly many sports seem to be ignoring the differences between the sexes and admitting all sexes to compete together on teams or against each other in singles sports (e.g., swimming), even though one sex often has a clear physical advantage.
BUT…there is one sport that I think has always been on a good track and hopefully will remain that way!
All my life, my family (Dad and Mom, and eventually husband and daughters) have been fans of and participants in the sport of figure skating. And if you don’t think it’s a real sport, then before reading the rest of this, please head down to your closest ice rink and give it a try. “Nuff said!”
My late husband was an ice dancer, and in one of the last competitions he participated in before he passed away (2020-COVID-R.I.P.), he told me that he was the only straight man in a locker room of 26 other men who identified as something other than “straight.”
And that’s OK. After he died, the largest number of cards and gifts to his memorial were from fellow skaters that had gotten to know him over the years. He always enjoyed being with other skaters and sexuality didn’t matter.
Sexuality truly doesn’t matter in the sport of figure skating. What matters is “Can you skate perfectly (or close to it) during your competitions?”
Straight men or women who have landed huge jumps for years can still bomb at a competition, and so can gay men and women, or anyone with any other sexual identity. It is NOT a kind, forgiving sport! You have one shot at competitions, and that “shot” lasts only a few minutes and then it’s over. No do-overs. No time-outs. No “Stop the Clock” so the physical therapist can massage the muscles. If you bomb, you have to wait until the next competition, often a year later, to try again.
There have been women who can outskate a man in jumps, and there have long been men who skate with more “style” than a woman. Figure Skating skills have nothing to do with sexuality, although the biological men are generally stronger when it comes to over-the head lifts of a partner–but not always! And women are generally more flexible when it comes to ice dancing elements, spins, and other elements that require flexibility–but not always!
Recently the figure skating discipline of synchronized skating has allowed over the head-lifts–and in last year’s world championships, WOMEN LIFTED WOMEN over their heads–and most of these lifts were performed by women of roughly the same weight and height!
Amber Glenn won the U.S. Championships in the 2023-2024 season after years of competing and never winning. Only recently has Ms. Glenn “come out” as pan-sexual/bi-sexual. But everyone in the figure skating world knew. And it didn’t matter–what mattered was how she skated during competitions, and often, she didn’t skate well enough to win. Her sexual orientation had nothing to do with her skating performance during competitions.
Jason Brown is the only male figure skater in the world who does not land quadruple jumps in competition, yet at age 30, he placed 5th at Worlds in 2024. He’s incredibly good at all the other elements and has a style of skating that brings an audience to their feet every time. He’s gay, but…that doesn’t matter. (Everyone loves him–he is kind and mannerly to fans and fellow skaters.) I still remember the first time I ever saw him skate when he was just in middle school–I knew that he would be one of the greatest skaters ever (even though he was wearing a ponytail!).
The sexual orientation of the sport MIGHT have mattered back in the old “6.0” system (although it didn’t seem to matter at the time, as quite a few “gay” skaters won competitions–again, because of their skills, not their sexuality).
But now, the Code of Points system does not allow for political “gimmees.” Figure skaters in all the disciplines of the sport (Men’s and Ladies’ Singles, Pairs, Ice Dance, and Synchronized) earn points for each element completed based on how good the ELEMENT is, and although this system is incomprehensible to the public and to many figure skating fans as well, it is generally much more accurate than the old 6.0 system, in which a “pretty skater” could (and sometimes did) win even if the other skaters landed every jump, spin, and footwork sequence.
It’s a sport, not an “entertainment.” Many people who don’t follow the sport don’t believe that, but for those who train in the sport, it’s the absolute truth. Figure skaters have to pass difficult tests to be promoted to the different levels of competition (Preliminary, Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, Junior, Senior), and many skaters spend years working on these tests, often failing them several times before passing. Most of the public doesn’t know this. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and often, practiced in the early morning hours because after school and work, public skating and hockey (and sometimes broomball) take over the ice rink.
My daughters were up at 4 a.m. on weekends to practice with their synchronized skating teams from 5:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. During the week, they got to sleep until 5:00 a.m. and were at the ice rink at 6:00 to practice a few hours before school.
One of the reasons why I love the sport of figure skating is that biological men and women still compete in the division that matches their biological sex. Men and women do NOT compete against each other in the Singles events, as the sexes, regardless of the orientation of the skater, possess physical attributes that make certain elements impossible or at best, extremely difficult. There are male skaters (Jason Brown)( who can perform a layback spin with as much flexibility as a woman, but most cannot. And there are women who can perform quadruple jumps–but most cannot, especially in the lower levels of the sport, which skaters must ascend before competing at the Senior level that we see on television.
And many men and women who excel in one aspect of the sport (e.g., jumps, spins, or footwork) do not have the same level of performance in other aspects of the sport (e.g., jumps, spins, footwork) to put together a program that demonstrates mastery of ALL the elements of the sport of figure skating. There’s no such thing in figure skating as a “3-point specialist” or a “pinch hitter.” You do it all, and you do it all well, and sexuality does not matter.
Yes, there are occasional competitions in which men and women compete against each other, but these are mainly “show” events, not real competitions, and they often are done as a fundraising event for a worthy charity. I think it’s highly unlikely that the International Skating Union will be merging the sexes in the competition arena anytime soon. other than in synchronized skating where men and women are on the same teams.
It’s interesting that in the U.S., the sport is often disregarded (or worse) by men–even if they watch the sport (to please their wives, girlfriends, or daughters), they would never participate in it, no way! But in many European and Asian countries, as well as Canada, the sport is just as popular for men as it is for women. It infuriates me and other figure skating families that boys and men who figure skate are often made fun of. Keep in mind that male Olympic figure skaters like Charlie White (U.S.A.) and Kurt Browning (Canada) competed in figure skating AND ice hockey while they were growing up!
I hope that some who read this will take a look at the sport of figure skating, which I think has, so far anyway, handled the sexuality issue fairly well. Basically, sexuality ISN’T an issue in figure skating–the “issue” is, “Can you skate well enough to hit all the elements in your chosen figure skating discipline, and hit them better than anyone else in your competition field?”
By the way, Adult figure skating (all disciplines) is becoming more popular, and U.S. Figure skating sponsors many competitions for adults, so if you’re looking for a sport, consider giving figure skating a try!
The sports side of this gets talked about a lot, and it should. It affects a lot of young girls, teens, and young women and puts them in the position of sacrificing either their safety and modesty, or their sport.
The women in prison who are forced to share a cell with a “transgender” convicted rapist don’t have even that option. Nearly 60% have been through sexual violence, while about 80% have been through domestic abuse. Misogyny at its finest. They act like that man’s feelings are more important than that woman’s right to not be raped.