Chairman of the US bishops: Attack on Trump a call for moderation

Vatican City - Following the attack on Donald Trump, the USA is engaged in a controversial debate about the interpretation and impact on American democracy. Timothy Broglio, President of the Bishops' Conference, has also spoken out.

Published on 16.07.2024 at 16:07 –

The chairman of the Catholic bishops in the USA has seen the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump as a "call for moderation in the debate". In an interview with the Vatican News portal published on Tuesday, Archbishop Timothy Broglio said: "This tragic event calls on us all to moderate our discourse, to take paths of peace and reconciliation and to reflect honestly on how we can work together to find solutions despite all our political differences."

With almost 80 million members, the Catholic Church is the largest church in the USA. Its bishops have often made polarising statements themselves in the past, particularly in the debate on abortion.

Even a dissenter in the image of God

Broglio, who is also the highest Catholic military chaplain in the USA, went on to explain that he was shocked that such violence could occur in a democratic society and "that we are no longer able to talk to each other".

The Archbishop went on to say: "We must constantly remind ourselves that even someone who disagrees with me was nevertheless created in the image of God and therefore has a dignity that I must recognise and respect." It is "tragic that the political debate in this country has reached a point where people are just shouting at each other and there is no longer any room to listen to each other". (KNA)