Paul Keenan
Cardinal Kevin Farrell The Irish-born Bishop of Dallas, Kevin Farrell, has led calls for peace and “a moment of national reflection” on race and violence in America in the wake of the deadly July 7 shootings of five police officers in the city.
Bishop Farrell, who hails from Dublin, described events in Dallas as “staggering” and urged an end to violence.
“We have been swept up in the escalating cycle of violence that has now touched us intimately as it has others throughout our country and the world,” he said. “All lives matter: black, white, Muslim, Christian, Hindu. We are all children of God and all human life is precious… We cannot lose respect for each other and we call upon all of our civic leaders to speak to one another and work together to come to a sensible resolution to this escalating violence. Let us implore God our Heavenly Father to touch the minds and hearts of all people to work together for peace and understanding.”
Just last January, in an interview with The Irish Catholic, Bishop Farrell lamented the fraught issue of gun control in the United States and said: “It is absurd that terrorists, criminals, and mentally unbalanced people can freely and openly buy weapons not intended for sport, but designed to kill people.”
Meanwhile, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference, issued a statement on Dallas in which he said, “The need to place ever greater value on the life and dignity of all persons, regardless of their station in life, calls us to a moment of national reflection. In the days ahead, we will look toward additional ways of nurturing an open, honest and civil dialogue on issues of race relations, restorative justice, mental health, economic opportunity, and addressing the question of pervasive gun violence.”
In addition to the five slain officers, sniper Micah Johnson also injured seven other police officers and two civilians when he opened fire during a peaceful rally against the shooting of black men by police in the US.