The Deacon's Bench
Just don’t do it in Wisconsin.
As Wisconsin’s concealed carry law goes into effect, the state’s Catholic bishops are urging parishioners to keep their weapons out of church.
“The Catholic Church has a long tradition of sanctuary, allowing people feeling violence to take refuge in church buildings as a place of safety and protection. For the most part, this practice has worked well because most people respect the sacred, peaceful nature of such holy places,” Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki said in aMonday statement, which was also signed by bishops from Madison, Superior, Green Bay and La Crosse.
“Whatever an individual parish decides to do regarding its policy on concealed weapons,” the statement continued, “we ask that all people seriously consider not carrying weapons into church buildings as a sign of reverence for these sacred spaces.”
This is not the first time that the state’s Catholic bishops have spoken out against the concealed carry law. In May, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference released a statement urging legislators to not pass the bill.
According to a spokesperson from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, no parishioners have contacted the bishops about this week’s statement.
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