Bishops Offer Prayers for Tucson

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops renewed its call for respect for human life as the nation mourned those affected by the shooting that killed six people, including John M. Roll, the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for Arizona, and wounded at least a dozen others, including U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, on Jan. 8 in Tucson, Ariz. “We commend to God those who have died,” said Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S.C.C.B., “and we pray for the families who lost loved ones and for those who are suffering from their wounds. We also pray for the person who committed these acts and those who are responsible for his care…. While we as bishops are also concerned about the wider implications of the Tucson incident, we caution against drawing any hasty conclusions about the motives of the assailant until we know more from law enforcement authorities.”