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Episcopal bishops and World Figures Respond to Mass Shooting in Orlando
A VIRTUEONLINE EXCLUSIVE
www.virtueonline.org
June 14, 2016
VirtueOnline has compiled a broad list of various responses to Sunday's mass shooting at Pulse, a popular gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida which left 50 people dead -- including the shooter -- and sent another 53 to hospitals with gunshot wounds. The listing starts with various Episcopal bishops and their prayers.
VOL has also included several Anglican Communion statements, ecumenical thoughts, interfaith reaction, political opinions, and what the gay community thinks.
+++ THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH RESPONDS +++
PRESIDING BISHOP: Pray for the repose of the souls who have died
We pray for the repose of the souls for those who have died; we pray for those who are wounded -- that they might have healing; we pray for the families and those who grieve; we pray for our communities, our nation and our world -- indeed we pray for the whole human family. May the souls of the departed, through the mercies of God, rest in peace and rise in glory.
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
The Episcopal Church
VIDEO: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/blog/michaelcurry/video
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NEW YORK: Prayer alone is not enough
Our dear Brothers and Sisters,
Yesterday saw one of the worst mass shootings in recent American history, when a lone gunman killed and wounded more than a hundred people at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The shock and horror of this assault has covered our nation in mourning. Yet this was actually the 15th mass shooting in America so far in June, and the 133rd in 2016. Almost as horrifying as the killings themselves is the regularity with which we awaken to such reports, and the numbing of our sensibilities promoted by that regularity. We worry as well at the language of division and distrust, of racism and homophobia and Islamophobia, and of the demonizing of the stranger at the gate, which has characterized the rhetoric of some in the current election season. It seems that something essential to our common life is slipping away; that some essential thread of the fabric of our country is unravelling.
The shooter in Orlando has claimed a loyalty to ISIS and international terrorism, and the investigations to come will take place in that light. But we must not lose sight of the fact that his targeting of a nightclub frequented by members of the LGBT community was deliberate, and was a direct attack on that community. This violent expression of homophobic violence will certainly be and should be characterized as a hate crime, and comes also in the week in which we remember the shooting of nine African American men and women at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston twelve months ago. Too often we see the escalating patterns of violence target those who have been historically marginalized in America. The Black Lives Matter movement has challenged our country over the lack of consequence and regard when people of color are killed or murdered, and today in our sorrow we say with the same conviction that LGBT Lives Matter, and remember the long record of violence against members of that community. Too often we are called to mind of the deeper currents in American life and history which have dehumanized and devalued our own brothers and sisters. To those who knew and loved the victims of this weekend's violence, to the LGBT community in New York and around our country, and to a nation in mourning, we extend our deepest condolences and care, and our commitment to justice and equality, and to the right of all people to live in safety and peace.
President Obama has asked today what kind of country we want to be. That is a good question. In the wake of these shootings in Orlando, we your bishops made our parish visitations yesterday. As we prepared to receive candidates for confirmation, we again led the people of our churches in the renewal of our Baptismal Covenant. We renounced the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the people of God. We committed again to strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being. Against the background of such violence, these vows and promises carry a special poignancy, but they are in fact where the Christian life begins. It is where we declare the kind of men and women we will be, and the kind of community we intend to create and shape. It is a central tenet of our faith that people bound by such vows, accepting and embracing our redemption in Jesus, rising with Jesus into new life, may be salt and leaven and light for a suffering world in desperate need of godly transformation.
We commend the victims of the shootings in Orlando to your prayers and the prayers of your parish. But prayer alone is not enough. Now is the time to reach out in grace and power, and in brotherhood and sisterhood with the larger community of which our churches are a part. Let the Muslim congregations and people around you know that you refuse to characterize their whole community and people by the actions of this man. Let the LGBT community around you, and especially the great number of gay and lesbian people in our pews, know that they are beloved members of our community, and today we mourn with them the loss of their many friends, loved by us and by God. And we ask all Christian people in the Diocese of New York to re-embrace the risen life to which you have been called, to join with one another to build true inclusive community in our churches and bear witness to that before the world, to be repairers of the breach, to trust God and God's Kingdom Come, to never forget to love neighbor and enemy, to be advocates and servants of justice for all people, and to be ever in the things you do and the things you say witnesses to the love of God for all people, witnesses to the life and love of the Prince of Peace. And as always we remain --
Yours,
The Right Reverend Andrew M.L. Dietsche
XVI Bishop of New York
The Right Reverend Allen K. Shin
Bishop Suffragan
The Right Reverend Mary D. Glasspool
Bishop Assistant
+>
WESTERN MICHIGAN: How long, O Lord?
Psalm 13, Usquequo, Domine?
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I bear pain in my soul,
and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
and my enemy will say, 'I have prevailed';
my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
But I trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
How long, O Lord will such senseless violence continue?
How long, O Lord must we wait for the courage to enact common sense gun laws?
How long, O Lord before love overcomes hate, before grace overcomes malice?
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!
What to do we say, this time, to our children, O Lord?
What do we say, this time, to the families of the deceased, O Lord?
What do we say, this time, to ourselves to help us sleep tonight, O Lord?
Give light to my eyes, O Lord my God!
Fifty people are dead and 53 were hospitalized in Orlando yesterday in the single worst mass shooting in United States history. I am numb, angry and so very sad. I do not know how to make sense of this. I do not understand such anger, such hatred. Pray for the victims and their families and for the perpetrator yes, I will pray. But, if I'm honest, I must acknowledge my prayer alone is not enough. I must act. I must love the unlovable, reach out to the outcast, embrace the lonely, be reconciled with my enemies and do all this humbly acknowledging that I do so as much for me as for them. We need each other, whether we like each other or not, whether we agree with each other or not, we need each other. And, especially now as we try to come to grips with the very reality of evil in our midst, we need to trust in the steadfast love of our God for we cannot make it on our own.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding be with us,
+Whayne M. Hougland, Jr.
IX Western Michigan
+>
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/13/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-ohio-bishop/
OHIO: Jesus wept; now we weep
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
As Jesus wept upon the news of Lazarus's death, so do we, the body of Christ, weep at the news coming from Orlando. This horrifying and heartbreaking tragedy leaves us feeling stunned, vulnerable, insecure, and threatened. This is doubtless immeasurably more so for our sisters and brothers in the LGBT community who have so long been threatened and vulnerable.
In our desperate effort to make some sense of this inherently senseless event, it is tempting to define it as the act of a deranged and violent soul driven by hate, thus distancing ourselves from its reality and pain. Some may even find themselves attributing it to the perpetrator's religious background and ethnicity. The power of evil wants nothing more than to use it in further separating us one from another.
But this largest mass shooting in our nation's history calls us to be confessional about the violence, terror, and continuing homophobia that we have come to accept in our society, and by which acceptance we have become part of. If we are to be intolerant of anything, may it be these things. May we confront hatred and violence not with fear and a hatred and violence of our own, but with a renewed commitment to the security and wellbeing of all, and with a deeper vulnerability to the humanity of those from whom we differ in any way. May we remember that the other, of course, is always Jesus.
In this month of Gay Pride, there is much to be proud of and grateful for, especially given the landmark events of the last year. In the midst of our anguish and pain, may we hold the victims of this killing, those they loved, and those who loved them in our hearts, and be proud of them for the integrity of their lives. And may they and we be forever held together in the gentle and firm arms of God's mercy.
You and they are very much in my prayers,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
XI Bishop of Ohio
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MASSACHUSETTS: Extending compassionate prayers and heartfelt support
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
A week ago I joined a neighborhood Peace Walk in Boston's South End with Boston Police Commissioner William Evans and members of his department, children and adults of the neighborhood, and participants in our diocesan B-PEACE effort. We walked local streets proclaiming our determination to reduce gun violence and other violations of communal safety.
"Of course," I told the gathering, "marching around the neighborhood or wearing orange (as we'd recently done for Gun Violence Awareness Day) will not, in and of itself, stop the violence. We do this to proclaim to others and remind ourselves that together there is hard work to be done."
The very next day a 17-year-old student was shot and killed outside his high school in Dorchester. Six days later 50 people have died in Orlando in what is being termed the worst mass shooting in our nation's history. Within hours of my own grateful participation in Boston's Pride Parade, I find myself grieving and extending compassionate prayers and heartfelt support to the wider LGBT community as the latest target of hatred and violence.
I struggle to sort out the tangled web of motivations in this tragedy, as in others before it. Each mass shooting and terror attack has had its own particular toxic combination of factors -- individual alienation, hatred towards those who are different from us, religious extremism and more. A common factor in virtually every case, however, has been the ready accessibility of lethal weapons.
With each successive, perverse milestone in our country's narrative of violence -- now a school massacre, now a movie theater slaughter; now the most children murdered, now the greatest total number of victims -- our initial determination to be galvanized fades into a higher threshold of tolerance and accommodation to apparent inevitability.
Our grief and anger, however, must continue to issue not only in compassion and prayer, but in continued advocacy for those measures which can turn the tide in this crescendo of death. We do this with programs that build relationships across lines that divide us. We do it also with common-sense legislation on access to weaponry.
(Bishops United Against Gun Violence, of which both I and Bishop Gayle Harris are members, provides links at www.bishopsagainstgunviolence.org, pull-down menu "The Evidence.")
Of course we know that none of these measures in isolation will prevent all murderous attacks. Of course we know that combating terrorism requires different methods than combating household firearm accidents. But a full spectrum of interconnected efforts must advance the cause of communal safety and peace.
Jesus told us that the greatest commandments are to love God and love our neighbor. It follows that the greatest sin is the failure to love, and we are told that the consequence of sin is death. Too much are we witnessing this consequence. Let us love one another. Fervently, tangibly, relentlessly: let us love one another.
Faithfully in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates
XVI Bishop of Massachusetts
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COLORADO: Our hearts are broken
"Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.'"
--John 20:19
Dear Friends in Christ,
It goes without saying that our hearts are broken by yesterday's mass shooting in Orlando, and I understand fully that no words can begin to describe the shock, the sadness, and the outrage that all of us feel collectively.
Certainly, I invite your prayers today and in the days ahead for all those who were killed, for those who are wounded, for all the many family members and friends of all the victims, and for the first responders who were called upon to put their training and skills into action.
But let me be clear. This invitation to prayer is not mere sentiment. Whenever we hold ourselves and others in prayer, inviting the presence of the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lifting ourselves into the light of the living God, we enter ever more fully into the exchange and flow of that divine grace that has the capacity to heal, restore, and renew all things. Just as the risen Jesus breathed peace into the frightened hearts of his disciples after his crucifixion, so we too, through our collective prayer, breathe peace into this troubled and frightened world.
Here are some resources for prayer that you might find helpful for yourself or for your congregation: Prayer for Peace. Prayer for the Human Family. Prayer for our Enemies. Prayer for our Country. Prayer for Social Justice. Prayer in Times of Conflict.
Our life as people of God, however, is not simply a private matter. Even as we may pray quietly in the silence of our hearts, our witness to the love that is God must be made visible in our collective communities. There has been enough violence and enough bloodshed. Our world longs for a more transcendent vision of itself-of human beings being fully human-and we are a people sent by God into this world to bear witness to a more transcendent way of life.
Now is not a time for us as inheritors of the gospel of peace to shrink back or remain silent. Instead this is the time for all of us to make the time and to take the time to stand shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart with others in opposition to the hatred and violence that so haunts this world (much of it sadly rationalized, justified, and glorified in the name of God).
In many communities across Colorado, vigils and prayer services are being organized. In Denver tonight, I will be in attendance at the vigil held in Cheesman Park at 8:00 pm, organized by PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). Some of those are listed in the links below (or others can be found by a simple web search). I encourage you to attend one. This is a time to make your voice counted and to stand with others, across the lines of political persuasion and religious belief, for peace.
If there is no such gathering near you, why not gather your friends, your colleagues, your community together and organize one as your witness and gift to others?
Remember this always: the opposite of love is not hate, but fear. For it is fear that gives rise to all the resentments, the bitterness, the anger, the rage, and the violence that constitute hatred. It is fear too that silences the voice of the good and allows hatred to persist. But our God is the God of love, and the call of God is always to take heart, to have courage, to stand tall in the name of Love, and to be the light that pushes back the darkness, knowing that in all times and in all places and in all ways, Love wins.
So, dear sisters and brothers, through our prayer and our witness, let's stand tall for the gospel of peace. It's time to push back the darkness together in the name of Love.
Deep peace and many blessings be with you.
Faithfully,
Bishop Rob O'Neill
X Bishop of Colorado
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NEW JERSEY: Godly grief produces a repentance
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation, but worldly grief produces death....
2 Corinthians 7:10
The shooting in Orlando this past Sunday was the largest mass shooting in the history of this nation. It was a terrorist act and a hate crime directed specifically at members of the LGBTQ community. It was also directed against all of us as a nation. In every way, the act was repugnant, despicable and is to be denounced.
As Christians, our first duty is to grieve over the loss of so many. We are to pray for the victims, their families and their loved ones. Many are still fighting for their lives in area hospitals. Families are still waiting to hear if their loved ones are among the dead. Images on television yesterday, of a mother lamenting her son, still not knowing his fate, are seared into my memory. This grief is not abstract, it is real. That these acts of violence come with such frequency cannot numb us from seeing the real human beings who are victims. They are our brothers and sisters. They are our sons and daughters. They are our mothers and fathers. They are our friends. They are us.
We must also grieve at the sinfulness of this nation. Our political leadership, gun manufacturers, the National Rifle Association and other gun lobbyists continue to enable and empower acts of mass violence through their failure to address the easy access so many have to guns. Yesterday's shooting was a clear example of this failure. I will continue my active participation in Bishops United Against Gun Violence and partner with others to work for sensible gun laws in this country.
Sadly, the response of many yesterday was to answer hatred with hatred. Anti-Muslim rhetoric filled social media and the news. As Christians, called upon by our Baptismal Covenant to "seek and serve Christ in all persons" and "to respect the dignity of every human being" (Book of Common Prayer, p. 305), we must always reject such hatred and sweeping generalizations. The act of the gunman yesterday was the product of a twisted ideology that distorts Islamic teaching. I encourage all of us to become more knowledgeable about Islam and for our churches to increase their efforts to build relationships with members of the Islamic community.
Yesterday, there was great support on social media for the victims of the Orlando shootings as well as for the LGBTQ community. We have come a long way in this nation and in our church in terms of our acceptance and embrace of persons with diverse sexual identities. Yesterday called for us to be in solidarity with our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.
There was, however, an ugly shadow side on social media in the wake of the Orlando shootings. Abhorrent statements against LGBTQ persons were posted. Hatred and prejudice against LGBTQ persons continue to plague us as a society. It was this kind of hatred and prejudice that apparently fueled Omar Mateen, motivating him to purchase a semi-automatic rifle and handgun, drive to Orlando, murder 49 persons and wound more than 50 others. Violence against, and persecution of, LGBTQ persons is a reality in our nation and around the world. I am grateful to be part of a church that stands with LGBTQ persons and pledge my support of them against ignorance, prejudice and persecution.
Hatred in any form is anathema to Christian sensibility. Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind...and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)
These were not suggestions. They were commandments.
May we all do the disciplined and difficult work of living into these commandments as we continue to pray for the victims of the Orlando shootings, their families and loved ones.
The Right Reverend William H. Stokes
XII Bishop of New Jersey
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CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA: We have been shattered by the news of gunfire and the loss life
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6: 12
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania,
Again, we have been shattered by the news of gunfire and the loss of innocent lives in our country.
Again.
Again, we have woken to news of violence in places where we, or any of our loved ones, might have been: a school, a town square, a nightclub.
Again, we have counted bodies by the dozen; and learned in a matter of hours, the background, history and life details of a gunman, previously unknown to any of us.
And, again, we say that we are outraged.
Again.
The event in Orlando that occurred early Sunday morning has the distinction of claiming the greatest number of lives since the bombing of the World Trade Center in 2001. 50 lives lost and 53 wounded.
The gunman, Omar Mateen, has been linked to ISIS. The victims were patrons at a nightclub serving the LGBTQ community. There are any number of angles that can be investigated to discover the purpose, the motive and the intent of this act of violence. To do so is important, but it is not the sole answer or the end to this crisis. Because, if history is our teacher, we know that in just another short interval, we will be facing this kind of tragedy again. And again. And you will be reading another letter from your bishop and watching another press release from the White House and learning the sad biography of another shooter and his or her victims. Again.
As your bishop, I call us to prayer in this time and, always, as we meet tragedy. And, as your bishop, I call us to action because I cannot bear the thought of again... and again... and again.
Before Sunday morning's incident, I had already scheduled a meeting of a few interested people to gather with me on June 21 to meet with Mr. Bryan Miller of "Heeding God's Call," an advocacy and action group based in Philadelphia that is working to eradicate gun violence in our country. Last week, several of our clergy joined in the "Wear Orange" initiative to raise awareness of gun violence, and as our new Social Justice and Equity Committee takes shape, I look forward to their work advocating on this issue.
At a dinner last night, I sat with two social justice advocates in our city of Harrisburg and spoke with them about the vastness of this issue. The loss of life to gun violence is about more than gun control and second amendment rights. What happened in Orlando Sunday morning is symptomatic of larger issues: fear, vulnerability, hatred, and evil. As the author of Ephesians wrote, this is about "cosmic powers" and "spiritual forces of evil" that we are called to address.
The way that Christians are called to wrap our arms around something as large as "the spiritual forces of evil" is to appeal to the One who is larger than life itself--our Creator, Redeemer and Sustaining God. That is why, for me, prayer is always the first and best response. Of that I am not ashamed. I pray for God's holy and awesome power to overcome darkness and to vanquish evil. And then, I pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to fill me with enough courage, zeal and persistence to reach out, in the name of Jesus, to do what I can. On June 21, in my meeting with Mr. Bryan Miller, I will begin that work.
I pray for you to join me. Pray for healing, and for evil to be vanquished. And pray that God will engage you to do your own work in reconciling our broken society and restoring wholeness to our world.
I pledge to share news of my meeting on the 21st and encourage you to contact my office with interest in joining our local efforts. My email is ascanlan@diocesecpa.org.
May God bless you and those whom you love.
May God bind up those who are broken hearted and bring peace.
And may the souls of the departed rise in glory.
The Rt. Rev. Audrey Scanlan
XI Bishop of Central Pennsylvania
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RIO GRANDE: My soul is wrought with pain
My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
My soul is wrought with pain as I read of the senseless and useless deaths of our brothers and sisters slain in Orlando, Florida.
Let us pray for the repose of the souls of those who died, for the healing of those who were wounded, and for the Holy Spirit to comfort their families and friends. Pray also for this nation as we struggle to comprehend such hatred and anger.
God be with as in this dark hour that we may anticipate the sunrise and peace.
Blessings,
+Michael Vono
IX Bishop of the Rio Grande
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WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS: More death ... more words ... no action
They lurk in ambush in public squares
and in secret places they murder the innocent;
they spy out the helpless.
Psalm 10:8
I write to you again in response to yet another mass shooting in America. Elementary schools, high schools, movie theaters, shopping malls, office buildings, churches and gay bars. No place is safe. No one is safe. Not as long as assault weapons are legally available to the one who hates, to the one who is ill, or to the one who wants to bring terror.
More death. More words. And no action.
The public health crisis that is gun violence just claimed 50 more lives. Add this to the 91 per day that die in the United States through gun violence. Just ten days ago Bishops United Against Gun Violence co-sponsored the #WearOrange campaign. Episcopalians all over the country wore orange and took over social media for the entire day. When will we wake up? When will our elected officials show some courage? In the wake of the slaughter and wounding of 100 LGBTQ people in Orlando, we must acknowledge that homophobia and racism are also at the heart of our dis-ease.
They say in their heart, 'God has forgotten; he hides his face; he will never notice (Psalm 10:11).' But God sees. God needs us to break the cycle of fear, hatred and scapegoating with a love that defies the darkness. Yes, our laws must change. Our elected leaders must bear responsibility for the state of gun safety legislation. But we must speak love to those who mourn, to those feeling a wave of justifiable anger. In time and with grace, we must speak love even to the one who brings death.
Our hearts are broken for Orlando and for LGBTQ people who are absorbing the reality of this violence. Our love surrounds all who bear the weight of this tragedy.
Rise up, O Lord;
Lift up your hand, O God;
Do not forget the afflicted.
Psalm 10:12
+ Doug
The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher
IX Bishop of Western Massachusetts
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http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/13/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-rhode-island-bishop/
RHODE ISLAND: Today we pray ... tomorrow we move
It's beyond our bearing. Another mass shooting has happened, this one the deadliest in our country's history. Someone was given access to enough weapons that 49 people were shot dead and nearly as many wounded in one attack by one man in one place. There was an armed police officer outside the club where the people were killed but that didn't stop this shooter.
This time it is the LGBT community that is grieving their friends and their children who have been cut down. In the last few years it's been the parents of school children, fellow parishioners after a Bible study, social workers mourning their co-workers after a staff party, and the many others whose stories no longer have had enough shock value to gain national attention. No matter who it is, the tears are the same, the shock is the same, the elected leaders pledges are the same -- and nothing seems to change.
This morning, after the shooting and killings in Orlando at Pulse, people are sharing their frustration that prayer isn't enough. And by itself, it isn't. But it's the place we as Christians start. It's the place from which we move. And that movement has to be out into a world that is reeling, shocked, weeping and devastated with pain beyond bearing. As followers of Jesus we are asked to move out toward the people who are persecuted and harmed and to take our place standing beside them. And we are asked to surround them with the kind of community that will start to slow the violence -- to make these sorts of events a memory and not our future.
We do this with the simple tools God has given us. Prayer. Bread. Wine. Healing oil. And the tools that build community. Listening. Pot-luck dinners. Food drives. Homeless shelters. It's nonsense in the eyes of the world, but it's what God would have us do. Jesus showed us that these things change the arc of history.
Because as we stand with the victims and the persecuted, as we feed them and pray with them, as we give of ourselves on their behalf, we are creating a community that Jesus tells us will be impervious to the hatred and assaults of the evil forces of this world which seem to have the upper hand on dark days like today.
So today we pray. Tomorrow we move.
The Rt. Rev. Nicholas Knisely
XIII Bishop of Rhode Island
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SAN DIEGO: My heart breaks for the victims of this horrifying act of violence
Once again senseless gun violence has claimed the lives of innocent people and tragically affected the lives of countless more. My heart breaks for the victims of this horrifying act of violence.When the victims are part of community that has been historically oppressed, this kind of violence can send shock waves through the LGBTQI community, not just in Orlando but everywhere, including in our diocese. We must all stand in solidarity with, and openly affirm, the right to safety for all gay, lesbian, transgendered, queer and inquiring people. These are our brothers, sisters, children, parents, friends and loved ones. Let us speak as one voice acknowledging the deep pain of the entire grieving LGBTQI community and say we are with you and we are praying for you. At the same time, we must pray for the perpetrator and his family, and that this horrific incident not be used as justification for religious or racial hatred. May the God whose peace passes all understanding hold us now.
The Rt. Rev. James R. Mathes
IV Bishop of San Diego
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http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/13/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-utah-bishop/
UTAH: We must do more
Orlando is 2,313 miles from Salt Lake City. I understand that we may think Orlando is so far away, that all we can do is pray... and we need to do that. However, I believe in my heart and in my soul that was given to God at Baptism, we not only can do more--we must do more. For this is not just an attack on people so many miles away--it is an attack on all of us in Provo, Logan, Page, Salt lake City and all over.
We now know the gunman was full of hate. Hatred directed toward our fellow human beings who are LGBT. People who are indelibly stamped with the image of God just like you and me. When one hates one of us made in God's image, one hates all of us in God's image. When a brother or sister in Christ cries out in pain, we all cry out in pain for we are united in God's world. Gun violence and hate crimes can no longer just be political fodder tossed around in legislatures, courts, and even churches as items too controversial to really deal with -- or measured in baby steps as "lets not do too much." The Lord measured justice in right and wrong with forgiveness powering both. The old law was not just modified to please local leaders and the majority opinion--it was completely changed to honor God's gift of life for all.
I was moved by President Obama's comments 12 hours after the horrific events in Orlando. In the midst of a media frenzy to discover more about the victim--presumably to offer us a chance to blame someone or something, the President asked us to turn our thoughts to the victims--those who are exactly like us in His image 2,313 miles away from us in Utah. President Obama said, "Say a prayer for them and say a prayer for their families -- that God give them the strength to bear the unbearable. And that He give us all the strength to be there for them, and the strength and courage to change. We need to demonstrate that we are defined more -- as a country -- by the way they lived their lives than by the hate of the man who took them from us."
And today, as we pray, let us also dig deep into our souls that indeed were given to God's service in baptism to help define who we want to be -- not who we allow politicians to keep us confined to baby steps. To again quote the President, "this massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that's the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well."
In this season of Pentecost, we follow the Lord's ministry on earth. It was not only a call to social justice, it was a call to doing something NOW. Let us decide to be the kind of country where parents do not have to worry when their children walk out the door in the morning or we as old, young, women, men, LGBT, or of any religion walk out that door too. Let us be the kind of country where we do not have to be afraid to go to a theatre, a nightclub. Let us be the kind of country where all people are respected and valued regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religious tradition. Let us work to end the epidemic of hate, intolerance, terror and prejudice. Let us dedicate ourselves to stopping gun violence. Until we decide to do this things will remain the same and tomorrow, next week, next month we will be reading about another massacre of our brothers and sisters -- of those whom we are joined with in Christ.
God's Blessings
+Scott B. Hayashi
XI Bishop of Utah
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http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/13/prayers-for-orlando-diocese-of-san-joaquin/
TEC SAN JOAQUIN: Pay attention to the invisible in our midst
Bishop David Rice began the Eucharistic celebration at Holy Trinity, Madera, on June 12 with a request for prayers for all concerned with the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Later, in his homily, he referred to the Gospel of the day and connected the two.
The woman who wept at Jesus' feet and washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair caused a stir. To the host, she was dismissed as invisible by being labeled as a sinner.
Rice called upon the congregation and diocese to pay attention to the invisible in our midst, whatever label they have been given -- homeless, prisoner, gay, or any other label. We are all God's creation and should not be invisible to one another.
This shooting with 50 dead and 53 injured comes a week after the Episcopal Church joined with several organizations in the #WearOrange campaign to raise awareness of gun violence and its effect on American lives. Gun violence does not just destroy those killed, it also impacts the wounded (who need to recover physically and emotionally), families of those killed or wounded, and local communities.
In a statement made later in the day, Rice said, "We remember those who have died under such horrific circumstances, we pray for those injured, we pray for the families and friends who have suffered overwhelming loss, we pray for one another as this impacts us all, we pray for peace, we pray, we continue to pray".
In a later posting on Facebook, Rice noted, "I endeavor to keep my Facebook Pages separate (personal and ecclesiastical) however after the events from this morning in Florida, I feel compelled to write these words. We desperately need to make changes. We need to foster a different way of being and a different way of seeing one another. We need to pray ourselves and to work ourselves into a far better reality where mutual respect and a reciprocated acknowledgment of our differences can be celebrated. We need to know that we can put a stop to the "isms" and "phobias" which are far too apparent in our everyday lives. We must replace all the hurts and harms with intentional and considered and abundant love. Quite frankly, that's one of the reasons I've remained in the church all these years, I continue to believe that love is the only answer, the only solution, the only thing that truly matters. So please, bring love, please bring love wherever you go and with whomever you encounter, bring love!"
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http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/13/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-texas-bishop/
TEXAS: Hate engendered violence leads to more hate
In the modern history of mass shootings in America, Orlando is the deadliest -- Hate engendered violence leading to more hatred. This shooting, it's shooter, and victims, will be politically used to create more hate that will lead to more violence. The shooting is caused by hate for those who are different and it will expand hatred for still others. Availability of weapons that can cause this level will be defended due to the hate. All of which is unjustifiable. We live in a nation that pretends civility and Christian values while rejecting the core and central tenets of Christian faith: love God and love neighbor and help create a peaceable kingdom. We live in a country that is revealing its underbelly of death, hate, and love of violence.
I pray for the victims of hatred, I pray for those who use fear and hatred to inspire further violence towards others, I pray for our country.
Our Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, or a staff member on his behalf, posted a piece in the wake of the shootings, it is from Galatians 6:7: "Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." He now states it was a mistake and planned before the shooting. It was taken down. Maybe it was taken down because it was in poor taste and timing.
The shooter is now believed to be a radical terrorist of Isis. The shooter was on a watch list but able to purchase
an assault rifle because of our sad state of gun laws in the US.
The Internet is already full of unchristian, disrespectful, and horrific responses supporting the shooting and demonizing Islam.
The reality is that we in this country are responsible for creating a place where hate speech is glorified, unnecessary weapons of mass destruction are freely accessible, and violence is cheered.
Yes America, we are reaping what we sow.
Violence and hatred shall beget only more violence and hatred. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
The Rt. Rev. Andy C. Doyle
IX Bishop of Texas
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http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/13/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-kansas-bishop/
KANSAS: Profound sadness for an unspeakable act of violence
Dear Friends,
Once again I come to you with profound sadness in the aftermath of an unspeakable act of gun violence in our nation. The deaths of at least 50 people in an attack on an Orlando nightclub that left more than 50 others injured, many seriously, is now the largest mass casualty shooting in United States history. This incident reminds us of the importance of strong resolve in opposition to terror and violence in all its many and varied forms.
I ask you to pray for the recovery of those who are currently receiving medical treatment for their injuries, as well as for the family and friends of those whose lives have been taken in this horrific event. I also invite you to pray for police, paramedics and other first responders who risked their lives to save the lives of others.
I also call upon all members of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas to join me in solidarity with members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender community, which were the targets of this attack at a gay nightclub. LGBT people are often marginalized in our society, and this is a savage reminder that we have so much work to do to make our country one of "liberty and justice for all."
We will know more about the circumstances surrounding this horrific attack in the coming days. It appears that the intent was to terrorize innocent people. Our enemies consistently underestimate our resilience and our resolve in remaining advocates for equality and justice.
In the meantime, I ask people of faith to affirm the call of our Lord Jesus Christ who proclaimed, "Blessed are the peacemakers."
I will celebrate a Requiem Eucharist at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Mission, Kansas, on Monday, June 13, at 7 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend. (Clergy are invited to vest and wear white stoles.)
In these sad days I hope you will strive to find places where you can plant seeds of peace. We must take faith-filled action whenever and wherever we can.
+Dean
The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe, D.D.
IX Bishop of Kansas
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TENNEESSEE: Asking for prayers for large scale tragedy
I ask your prayers for all who have been affected by the violence this weekend in Orlando, and especially for those who have died and for those who are still in hospital.
This large scale tragedy takes place at the intersection of serious societal concerns. There are many factors to be borne in mind: terror attack, hate crime, and gun violence, to name a few. Untangling the strands of our thoughts and reactions will take time. I commend to you Presiding Bishop Curry's statement about events found here.
I also remind you of the recent January statement of the Primates of the Anglican Communion condemning homophobic prejudice and violence. Pray for those who are now investigating the crime. May we come to clarity about these events, and in the light of Christ's death and resurrection may peace and reconciliation prevail among us.
The Rt. Rev. John Bauerschmidt
XI Bishop of Tennessee
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LONG ISLAND: Evil is perpetrated in an Orlando night club
The news of the tragic loss of life and evil perpetrated in the nightclub in Orlando is heartbreaking for all people. Again, we are reminded that hatred, bigotry and misguided causes, aided by the easy access to firearms, is a lethal combination.
We must endeavor to address the rhetoric that fuels hate, creates fear of other people and divides God's people.
Our hearts go out to the families of all those whose lives were taken and all the injured. We give thanks for the first responders and the scores of medical personnel who have endeavored to treat the wounded.
Lord Jesus, comfort your people, transform our pain and sadness by your promise of eternal life. Help us to remember who we are and what we are as your people. Free us from darkness that surrounds us in this day, and aid us in the days to come.
Bishop Lawrence C. Provenzano
VIII Bishop of Long Island
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CONNECTICUT: Senseless horror and death at the hands of a gunman
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
We write tonight with heavy hearts, as once again our nation and the world have experienced senseless horror and death at the hands of a gunman.The killing of fifty innocent people and the wounding of more than fifty in a nightclub in Orlando last night and early this morning is a gross display of evil that goes against the will of God and all human decency. The fact that the shooter: was able to purchase the weapons used to kill innocent victims easily and legally, targeted gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals, and, ostensibly pledged allegiance to ISIS, shows how easy hate can be manifested in death dealing terror.
Hearts that we hoped would break no further have torn open again and the wound goes deeper into our soul. We offer our hearts to God in prayer, perhaps not finding the strength within us to "lift our hearts; but the conviction that God will hold our broken hearts and fill them with his compassionate love.
As followers of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we are called to challenge all actions that seek to do harm and kill innocent victims out of prejudice, bigotry, and fanaticism. We stand with the LGBT community who has once again been targeted. We extend our care and concern to our Muslim neighbors as they celebrate the holy season of Ramadan. We ask that you join us in prayer for those who have died and been wounded, for their families, friends and loved ones, for first-responders and medical professionals who attended the victims, and for the shooter himself.
We pray that our helpless feeling this night will not prevail. And, we know that it will not. God is a God of hope and new life always, even in the darkest storm. May our words and actions be ones that move all towards healing and reconciliation. May our words and actions move all to a deeper understanding of one another and a willingness to all stand against injustice that places fear in the hearts of all of our communities.
"Lord, make us servants of your peace. Where there is hate, may we sow love; where there is hurt, may we forgive; where there is strife, may we make one. Where there is doubt, may we sow faith; where there is gloom, may we sow hope; where is there is night, may we sow light; where all is tears, may we sow joy."...Lord, make us servants of your peace this night and always. -- James Quinn, Hymn 593. Based on prayer att. Francis of Assisi.
"Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen:
The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas
XV Bishop of Connecticut
The Rt. Rev. Laura J Ahrens
Bishop Suffragan
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WASHINGTON, DC: Rachel is weeping for her children because they are no more
Thus says the Lord: "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children, because they are no more." Jeremiah 31:15
In Orlando and throughout our land, we hear the prophet's voices of lamentation and bitter weeping as we absorb the horrific news of 50 lives lost and 53 more seriously wounded. Our hearts break for all the dead, wounded, and traumatized by this carnage, and pray for God's strength and consoling mercies.
To our friends of the LGBT community, know that we love you and walk alongside you in your grief and pain, which is all the more searing following an attack in a presumed safe space during LGBT Pride month. Your tears are our tears. You will find shelter in our churches.
To our Muslim sisters and brothers, know that our support for you remains strong. We know that the hatred that fuels such violence is a perversion of the Muslim faith, and we remain your friends and interfaith partners.
To our fellow citizens of a nation once again scarred by gun violence, know that the killings in Orlando reinforce our resolve to work with Congress, state legislators, and law enforcement officials to rid America's cities and towns of the weapons of war. We have seen too many killings, shed too many tears, lit too many candles to continue as we are. With such easy access to guns, no safe spaces remain.
This week, we will toll the mourning bell of the Cathedral for the lives lost in Orlando. This week, we will grieve and ready our resolve. This week and beyond, we will pray for a peaceable kingdom and work toward a world no longer haunted by the threats of terrorism, gun violence and hatred. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde
IX Bishop of Washington, D.C.
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SOUTHWEST FLORIDA: Jesus Remember Me
In my recent time in Minneapolis with the Episcopal Church's Executive Council, over Friday night's dinner I was hearing firsthand stories from staff members of Sept. 11, 2001. That act of terrorism still leaves grim scars, and relief in the joy of life.
This Sunday on my return home from a parish visit, a priest called and informed me of the magnitude of this most recent act of terror in U.S. history.
Immediately upon the end of the call, my car music began playing the Taize song "Jesus Remember Me." This song's poignant text from Luke's Gospel is "Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom." It was and remains a powerful spiritual statement of divine compassion in the midst of horror.
I ask us all in the Diocese of Southwest Florida to remember in prayer all the victims of this act of extreme terrorism. We remember all of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters who have been targeted by such demonic rage. We also pray for all law enforcement, emergency and medical professionals working to bring Light in the midst of this nightmare.
I ask your prayers,
Bishop Dabney Smith
V Bishop of Southwest Florida
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CENTRAL FLORIDA: The horror of the event leads to the empty silence of mourning
I had to work to take it in. My natural reaction was to keep the horror of this event at a distance- keeping my heart safe from grief and outrage. But slowly, and as an answer to prayer, the sadness, the weariness, the empty silence of mourning poured in. Someone said that the deeper the grief, the fewer the words. That's how I feel. Words of condolence have little value in the face of this carnage. For right now, all we can do is grieve, pray and support the families of those who have died the best we can.
I will leave it to others to look for someone to blame. Instead -- right now -- all I want to do is to stand beside, pray, and love as best I can. There will be time later raise questions about security, gun violence, and homophobic rage. There is no justification for this atrocity. I categorically condemn what has happened. Better solutions must be found.
What I do believe is that love is stronger than death. The promise of resurrection brings courage, and the promise of "a new heaven and a new earth" should fuel all of God's people to help build a better world.
"Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
The Right Reverend Gregory O. Brewer
IV Bishop of Central Florida
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TEC FORT WORTH: We know the dead are in the arms of God
Once again we awaken to news of a mass shooting, this time the worse in U.S. history.
This story unfolded in the early hours of the morning, with most of us hearing the news as we were on our way to worship. We know the dead are in the arms of God, so let us enfold in prayer and compassion those who love and mourn for them. Pray for the first responders, for the law enforcement agencies, the grief counselors, those who are donating blood, for all those who have responded from a need to do something to help.
And pray for the LGBT community in Orlando, reeling from this horrific outburst of hatred and fear. Pray for all our LGBT sisters and brothers, who I fear are feeling very vulnerable in the wake of this act of terror.
Pray for our nation, as we refuse to give in to fear. Let us return love for hate, light for darkness, reason for panic, acceptance for rejection.
And in the inevitable sad days ahead as we deal with the aftermath of this tragedy, stand grounded in our sure and certain knowledge of the Resurrection. We are part of the Jesus Movement, and as such, people of hope and love.
The Rt. Rev. J. Scott Mayer
IV Provisional Bishop of Fort Worth
&
V Bishop of Northwest Texas
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MARYLAND: Hate has erupted into unspeakable violence
Dear Friends in Christ,
Once again hate has erupted into unspeakable violence. The mass shooting in an Orlando, Florida club apparently targeted gay and lesbian people, but also American values of freedom for all citizens and our Christian duty to respect the dignity of every human being were under attack as well. We join with the dozens of families grieving, praying, hoping, waiting, and trying to cope with this massacre. And as people of faith, we have something much more powerful than hatred and terrorism.
Today we heard a good news message in our churches about love and forgiveness from Luke 7. It tells a story about the compassion of Jesus as over against the religious bigotry of his day, and it is another example of Jesus reaching beyond those considered acceptable in his society. That's the gospel message we must continue to proclaim. Today's shooting is unfortunately further proof our world is hurting and crying for such a message of love and reconciliation.
As members of Bishops United Against Gun Violence we will continue to work for common sense gun laws that have been shown to reduce gun violence. And we must work to remove military assault weapons and high capacity ammunition clips. Those weapons are designed to do only one thing: kill a lot of people quickly. There's no reason such weapons need to be widely available in a civilized society.
Tonight we pray for the victims who now rest in the arms of their Creator. We pray for those fighting to stay alive, for their families and the medical teams working to save them. We pray for Orlando, the latest community forced to experience this avoidable horror.
And we pray we will have the courage to do what the Gospel commands, to engage the world with the message of love, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Faithfully yours,
The Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton
XIV Bishop of Maryland
The Right Rev. Chilton R. Knudsen
Assistant Bishop
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http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/14/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-chicago-bishop/
CHICAGO: We live in a dangerous society
Dear Friends,
The unspeakable violence in Orlando reminds us of the dangerous society we live in. It reminds us in particular that the experience and awareness of such danger is experienced by some groups of people more than others. The threat of hate-fueled violence, even murderous rage is a daily reality for too many people.
This was an attack on the LGBT community. It has been said by some to be an attack on our common humanity. From the perspective of my own Christian faith, I want to suggest that it was an attack on Christ himself. Every act of violent hatred is an assault on Jesus Christ who is present in every victim. I do not know how else to understand the mystery of the cross. Murder is simply blasphemy, an attempt to obliterate the image of God in which we are all made.
I ask you to continue to pray for all who died in the nightclub in Orlando. Please pray for their families and friends who mourn. Pray that outrage and grief will not be turned toward hatred of anyone else. And let us put our prayer into practice. Let us continue to work for sensible regulation of the sale of automatic weapons. Let us work for the dignity of all God's children, gay, straight, bisexual and transgender. Let us put our trust in the cross of Christ -- death is not the final word.
Faithfully,
+Jeff
The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Lee
XII Bishop of Chicago
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LOUISIANA: We're searching the depths of our broken hearts
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
In the wake of yet another mass shooting in the United States, we find ourselves searching the depths of our broken hearts...hearts that will never completely heal in the face of such senseless and devastating violence. And, what we become increasingly aware of each time we are faced with the shattering reality of such assaults is that, for some of us (in this case, the LGBT community), the reality of this type of violence draws even nearer. And, as a result, not only are basic freedoms compromised, but the very core who we are as creatures of God seems to be shaken. Every single shot fired is not only an attack on our common humanity, but it is also an attack on the very image of Christ that is held within each one of us.
However, as we stand at the foot of the cross, we know that death does not have the final word in Orlando, or in San Bernadino or in Charleston or on any street corner where hate has been used as justification for violence. Weeping may rule the night, but the light comes in the morning and we draw strength from a God who will never leave us. As Christians, we are called to a time of prayer, but I also believe that in times such as these, we are also called to action. May we renew with vigor our efforts towards sensible gun control. Only days ago, we wore orange as a sign of solidarity in this effort. May each innocent life lost be cloaked in a promise that they will never be forgotten. And finally, may all of God's creatures...no matter one's gender, sexual orientation or race, find the world a safer and more generous place.
You are all in my prayers,
The Rt. Rev. Morris K. Thompson, Jr.
XI Bishop of Louisiana
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http://bishopmarc.typepad.com/blog/2016/06/grieve-show-compassion-be-proud-act.html
CALIFORNIA: Grieve. Show compassion. Be proud. Act.
It was with great sadness yesterday morning that I learned of the massacre at Pulse night club in Orlando. Omar Mateen, the gunman, took the lives of 49 people and has wounded another 53. He is also dead now. As with attacks in this country in schools and theaters this deadly attack -- in a place where people have gone expecting to be safe, to celebrate life itself -- is especially grievous.
As the United Nations was developing its eight goals to eliminate extreme poverty, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, who succeeded Desmond Tutu as Archbishop of Capetown, suggested to me that there should be a ninth goal, one that is spiritual: the goal of reconciliation. He said that if humanity is not reconciled to one another, none of the other goals was possible. I think he was on to something, and over the intervening years I have come to believe that all the great spiritual goals, developed by the world's religions, are essential for humanity to reach its pragmatic development goals. At the least, I think there are three other spiritual goals for humanity, whether working for climate justice, against terror, for LGBT* inclusion, or for an end to gun violence: forgiveness, compassion, and reverence.
While I have mostly engaged the spiritual goals in working to alter climate change, they are applicable for all situations. My diocese is centered in San Francisco, a long-time sanctuary for LGBT* people and really all people seeking to be themselves, encounter compassion, and give and receive respect. June is Pride month, a rainbow flag hangs from my office's building, many of my congregations have special services on Pride Sunday, and this attack has been a shock to many in the LGBT* community.
The LGBT* community is resilient, though. It has faced terror for decades, still faces terror today in many parts of our country, and faces legalized terror in numbers of countries around the world. The LGBT* community here is loved and should continue to be proud. Being out, acting up, and refusing to be or go back into the closet is an act of courage (another spiritual quality) and defiance against hatred and terror.
Whether the attack in Orlando was an organized international terror attack, a lone person exercising fanaticism, or simply someone so hate-filled that two men kissing led him to shoot wildly in a crowded night club, all of us impacted -- all who seek sanctuary and who have known it defiled -- must show reverence for human life, compassion to the grieving, forgiveness (even if time is necessary), and work for reconciliation of our differences and hatreds.
In my tradition, we believe that in his resurrection Jesus defeated death and ended the power of death. Jesus also commanded Christians to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost someone close to them, as are the thoughts and prayers of spiritual leaders, politicians, and every day people from around the world. We must also extend our thoughts and prayers into advocacy.
In the United States we have the privilege of choosing our government officials -- and this year is an election year. I pray that thoughts and prayers will change us, change our behaviors and prompt us to contact our elected officials and demand better gun restrictions from universal background checks to closing gun show and online sales loopholes to limiting access to assault rifles and high-volume magazines.
Finally, it is necessary to say that at this moment we must avoid all semblance of blame for whole populations and religions for this act of terror and hate. A hymn that has become emblematic of my leadership in this diocese contains the line "Old, aching God, grey with endless care, calmly piercing evil's new disguises."
It should be unthinkable that in this land of freedom, a country that has distinguished itself again and again by being a beacon of hope for people under the yoke of tyranny, a land that has struggled to be free of the terror of prejudice and fear, that a person aspiring to the highest position in the United States could trade in rank prejudice and slander under the guise of protecting us, yet rather than unthinkable such hate-mongering is supported by some of the electorate, and not clearly opposed by all our legislators. We must clearly say that such hate-mongering is wrong.
I grieve with the people of Orlando, and I grieve with the LGBT* people of my diocese -- whether they are Christians or Episcopalians or not. I pray that we show one another compassion and care in our grief. I am proud of the LGBT* people who continue to stand in defiance of fear tactics and hate, and I look forward to celebrating Pride in San Francisco later this month. Finally I pray that this mass shooting motivate us all to act for better, common sense, gun laws in our country.
+Marc H. Andres
VIII Bishop of California
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SOUTHERN OHIO: We all are neighbors
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I am writing to you from the Church Divinity School in Berkeley, California, where I have just started teaching a two-week intensive course in Anglican moral theology. But I write with a heavy heart, as I know we are all grieving the Orlando attack. Once again we confront our seeming inability to confront and address the scourge of gun violence in our land. We mourn with the families of the victims. We mourn with the LGBTQ community as it continues to bear the burden of intolerance and disapprobation.
Nor should we forget to pray for the American Muslim community, which has been deeply shocked by this crime and yet again faces the threat of increased violence against its institutions and places of worship. This morning in my class, one of my students told us about the conversation he had when he went across the street at 7 am to buy a cup of coffee. The clerk asked him why he was up so early. "I'm on my way to Morning Prayer," was the student's reply. The clerk said, "Then pray for me. I am a Muslim who has been in this country for thirty years. I feel pain in my stomach about what has happened. I believe in tolerance."
We are all neighbors, even of those who hate us. Love is the only way through, as Jesus constantly reminds us. To love let us add clear thinking, sound policy, and effective neighboring. May we all take up our authority and our obligation as baptized persons to act as responsible moral agents in a frightened world.
Faithfully,
+Tom Breidenthal
IX Bishop of Southern Ohio
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THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH in SOUTH CAROLINA: Remembering Mother Emanuel killings
Dear Friends,
As we remember the killings at Mother Emanuel one year ago, we now encounter another indication of the pervasive power of hatred, in Orlando. Because of our experience, we have a window through which to see the Florida tragedy. The view may be different, the landscape may have changed, but the setting of hatred's power is the same.
In response to this encounter with hate, though, we remember the example of the families of Emanuel's victims, who followed the example of Jesus himself. That example, of course, leads inextricably to love. And, from the time of the cross, hatred loses its power when confronted by love.
The families of Emanuel knew this. The families of Orlando will come to know the same, I pray. May we all learn that lesson from our Lord, even in the pain, grief, and anger cultivated by hatred. Love will have the final word, for love is of God... and God is love.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Charles G. vonRosenberg
Bishop Provisional
The Episcopal Church in South Carolina
*****
UPPER SOUTH CAROLINA: We've heard terrible news
Dear people of EDUSC,
We are all grieving at the terrible news we heard yesterday regarding the act of violence and hate committed in an Orlando night club. We lost 49 LGBTQ brothers and sisters and may lose more. One of those killed was from the Midlands, as was one of those injured. Pray for those who have died, their families, those who are injured and their families, as well as the Orlando community and the Midlands community. Pray for healing, and remember we must respond to hate and violence with love. Pray for the whole world, and pray that God might turn the hearts of those who have committed or would commit such acts of hatred. Pray for a new spirit of resistance against gun violence. Hold the broken hearts of the LGBTQ community in our diocese and in our community in prayer. Each of us is a precious child of God. Pray without ceasing.
Your brother in Christ,
+Andrew
The Rt. Rev. Andrew Waldo,
VIII Bishop of Upper South Carolina
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http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/14/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-olympia-bishop/
OLYMPIA: A radicalized and misuse of religion
Once again our generation is witness to senseless killing from hands that should not have had such simple and easy access to guns, especially guns built for war with excessive power.
Guns that have no place on our streets. We witness yet again radicalized and misused religion as well, focused on hate and violence toward a specific group.
I ask your prayers for the victims in Orlando, those who mourn them, and for the injured as well. In our prayers we should not forget that daily the numbers affected by gun violence are equally as great or greater. Violence that goes unseen and unnoticed by most of us because the victims are not in one place at the hands of one, or directed at one community.
Nonetheless those deaths are equally to be mourned and are as every bit our concern and responsibility. We must, as a people, become mature enough to have a rational conversation and debate on these very things. Pray for that too.
The Rt. Rev. Greg Rickel
VIII Bishop of Olympia
*****
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/14/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-dallas-bishop/
DALLAS: Pray for tranquility and safety for all people
We as the Diocese of Dallas share the world's shock and abhorrence at the terrible act of violence at Pulse nightclub in Orlando this weekend. In our prayers we remember the victims who died, the wounded, and their families. We pray for God's restraining hand against such acts of hatred, madness, and fanaticism, and that He would turn the hearts of those inclined to such senseless violence. May our nation be, by God's grace, in our time a land of tranquillity and safety for all its people.
The Rt. Rev. George Sumner
VII Bishop of Dallas
*****
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/14/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-spokane-bishop/
SPOKANE: Life is holy, sacred and a gift from God
Dear friends,
Please hold in your prayers those who died, were injured, or who lost loved ones in the horrific shooting deaths at an Orlando, Florida club where at least 49 people were killed and many others injured, some gravely.
As we pray for all, may we do so mindful that the focus in our lessons and worship this Sunday morning was a call to proclaim that all life is sacred; a gift from God, and holy.
May we abhor and address vigorously the senseless violence that continues to wreak death and destruction on a daily basis.
+Jim
The Rt. Rev. James E. Waggoner, Jr.
VIII Bishop of Spokane
*****
PITTSBURGH: Is there grief in Heaven?
Dear Friends in Christ,
As I finished the newspaper on Monday morning, I wondered: is there grief in Heaven?
We are told there is not. At many wakes and funerals for those killed in Orlando, those who mourn will be told your loved one is in a better place; she is dancing in heaven; he is laughing with the angels.
Of course, I understand why such things are said, but I think they are not enough.
I see and hear a rather different scene: silence in heaven, stilled harps, muted angelic voices, the saints with their faces in their hands, hearts broken open once again, for those who died, those who mourn, those caught in the midst of a violent and broken world -- yes, grief even for the killer and his illness. In their silence, their hearts go out to us.
If we could borrow their eyes for a few minutes, be silent and grieve with the angels and saints, what would we see as we looked at ourselves? Perhaps a few things.
We would see that the LGBT community, in spite of recent gains in civil rights, is still vulnerable; viewed as diseased and criminal in many parts of the world and frequently treated as objects of derision in our own. We would see the darkness they bear that we have put upon them.
We would clearly see the various ideologies of hate for what they are, a web of lies that pit the strong against the weak and tear apart human lives in the false quest for an Eden of our own making. We would see little difference between the extremes of Islamic fundamentalism in many countries, or the current temptations to demagoguery in our own.
We would see the renewed debates about gun control, constitutional rights, immigration, and the like, perhaps as addressing (for good or ill) a set of current problems, but not getting at The Problem.
We would understand that The Problem is this: We fear our own death more than we love the lives of others.
Because we fear, we put our sins on someone else's head. We push them away. We kill in the hope we will finally find peace.
But the saints, in their silence, know what we can only believe: the peace we are looking for has been won in the Cross of Christ. No further sacrifice is needed or allowed. No scapegoat. No enemy.
And the Lord's Resurrection has done away with the fear of death, if we will only believe it, and has supplied us with an endless well of love out of which to love others, freely, joyfully -- even to love them more, the more they would do us harm.
That is why the silence in heaven, sooner or later, ends. The harps are picked up again, the voices tuned, the faces of the saints lifted to the glory of God. Soon will come the new heaven and the new earth, when all sorrow will end. Then both the dead and those who mourned for them will be raised,and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Rev. 21:1-4)
And for us, in the meantime? How might we show others the same heart God shows us through our communion with His saints in heaven?
We pray for those who mourn, pray for an end to our own violence, the warring of our own hearts. Pray without ceasing for the world. Embrace our LGBT sisters and brothers. Support their community with the assurance of our love for them and with deeds that reflect that love. Especially in this tempestuous election year, walk in love and refuse to be drawn into the politics of fear. Work, in any way we can, to overcome the culture of violence through actions that bring peace.
Finally, remember that we are always surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1) whose hearts go out to us constantly. Be filled with the Spirit to open our hearts to others, to mourn with those who mourn, build with those who build, until all grief is ended by the One who makes all things new. (Rev. 21:5)
Faithfully your bishop,
(The Rt. Rev.) Dorsey W. M. McConnell, D.D.
VIII Bishop of Pittsburgh
*****
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/14/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-chicago-bishop/
CHICAGO: We live in a dangerous society
Dear Friends,
The unspeakable violence in Orlando reminds us of the dangerous society we live in. It reminds us in particular that the experience and awareness of such danger is experienced by some groups of people more than others. The threat of hate-fueled violence, even murderous rage is a daily reality for too many people.
This was an attack on the LGBT community. It has been said by some to be an attack on our common humanity. From the perspective of my own Christian faith, I want to suggest that it was an attack on Christ himself. Every act of violent hatred is an assault on Jesus Christ who is present in every victim. I do not know how else to understand the mystery of the cross. Murder is simply blasphemy, an attempt to obliterate the image of God in which we are all made.
I ask you to continue to pray for all who died in the nightclub in Orlando. Please pray for their families and friends who mourn. Pray that outrage and grief will not be turned toward hatred of anyone else. And let us put our prayer into practice. Let us continue to work for sensible regulation of the sale of automatic weapons. Let us work for the dignity of all God's children, gay, straight, bisexual and transgender. Let us put our trust in the cross of Christ -- death is not the final word.
Faithfully,
+Jeff
The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Lee
XII Bishop of Chicago
*****
LOUISIANA: We're searching the depths of our broken hearts
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
In the wake of yet another mass shooting in the United States, we find ourselves searching the depths of our broken hearts...hearts that will never completely heal in the face of such senseless and devastating violence. And, what we become increasingly aware of each time we are faced with the shattering reality of such assaults is that, for some of us (in this case, the LGBT community), the reality of this type of violence draws even nearer. And, as a result, not only are basic freedoms compromised, but the very core who we are as creatures of God seems to be shaken. Every single shot fired is not only an attack on our common humanity, but it is also an attack on the very image of Christ that is held within each one of us.
However, as we stand at the foot of the cross, we know that death does not have the final word in Orlando, or in San Bernadino or in Charleston or on any street corner where hate has been used as justification for violence. Weeping may rule the night, but the light comes in the morning and we draw strength from a God who will never leave us. As Christians, we are called to a time of prayer, but I also believe that in times such as these, we are also called to action. May we renew with vigor our efforts towards sensible gun control. Only days ago, we wore orange as a sign of solidarity in this effort. May each innocent life lost be cloaked in a promise that they will never be forgotten. And finally, may all of God's creatures...no matter one's gender, sexual orientation or race, find the world a safer and more generous place.
You are all in my prayers,
The Rt. Rev. Morris K. Thompson, Jr.
XI Bishop of Louisiana
*****
http://bishopmarc.typepad.com/blog/2016/06/grieve-show-compassion-be-proud-act.html
CALIFORNIA: Grieve. Show compassion. Be proud. Act.
It was with great sadness yesterday morning that I learned of the massacre at Pulse night club in Orlando. Omar Mateen, the gunman, took the lives of 49 people and has wounded another 53. He is also dead now. As with attacks in this country in schools and theaters this deadly attack -- in a place where people have gone expecting to be safe, to celebrate life itself -- is especially grievous.
As the United Nations was developing its eight goals to eliminate extreme poverty, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, who succeeded Desmond Tutu as Archbishop of Capetown, suggested to me that there should be a ninth goal, one that is spiritual: the goal of reconciliation. He said that if humanity is not reconciled to one another, none of the other goals was possible. I think he was on to something, and over the intervening years I have come to believe that all the great spiritual goals, developed by the world's religions, are essential for humanity to reach its pragmatic development goals. At the least, I think there are three other spiritual goals for humanity, whether working for climate justice, against terror, for LGBT* inclusion, or for an end to gun violence: forgiveness, compassion, and reverence.
While I have mostly engaged the spiritual goals in working to alter climate change, they are applicable for all situations. My diocese is centered in San Francisco, a long-time sanctuary for LGBT* people and really all people seeking to be themselves, encounter compassion, and give and receive respect. June is Pride month, a rainbow flag hangs from my office's building, many of my congregations have special services on Pride Sunday, and this attack has been a shock to many in the LGBT* community.
The LGBT* community is resilient, though. It has faced terror for decades, still faces terror today in many parts of our country, and faces legalized terror in numbers of countries around the world. The LGBT* community here is loved and should continue to be proud. Being out, acting up, and refusing to be or go back into the closet is an act of courage (another spiritual quality) and defiance against hatred and terror.
Whether the attack in Orlando was an organized international terror attack, a lone person exercising fanaticism, or simply someone so hate-filled that two men kissing led him to shoot wildly in a crowded night club, all of us impacted -- all who seek sanctuary and who have known it defiled -- must show reverence for human life, compassion to the grieving, forgiveness (even if time is necessary), and work for reconciliation of our differences and hatreds.
In my tradition, we believe that in his resurrection Jesus defeated death and ended the power of death. Jesus also commanded Christians to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost someone close to them, as are the thoughts and prayers of spiritual leaders, politicians, and every day people from around the world. We must also extend our thoughts and prayers into advocacy.
In the United States we have the privilege of choosing our government officials -- and this year is an election year. I pray that thoughts and prayers will change us, change our behaviors and prompt us to contact our elected officials and demand better gun restrictions from universal background checks to closing gun show and online sales loopholes to limiting access to assault rifles and high-volume magazines.
Finally, it is necessary to say that at this moment we must avoid all semblance of blame for whole populations and religions for this act of terror and hate. A hymn that has become emblematic of my leadership in this diocese contains the line "Old, aching God, grey with endless care, calmly piercing evil's new disguises."
It should be unthinkable that in this land of freedom, a country that has distinguished itself again and again by being a beacon of hope for people under the yoke of tyranny, a land that has struggled to be free of the terror of prejudice and fear, that a person aspiring to the highest position in the United States could trade in rank prejudice and slander under the guise of protecting us, yet rather than unthinkable such hate-mongering is supported by some of the electorate, and not clearly opposed by all our legislators. We must clearly say that such hate-mongering is wrong.
I grieve with the people of Orlando, and I grieve with the LGBT* people of my diocese -- whether they are Christians or Episcopalians or not. I pray that we show one another compassion and care in our grief. I am proud of the LGBT* people who continue to stand in defiance of fear tactics and hate, and I look forward to celebrating Pride in San Francisco later this month. Finally I pray that this mass shooting motivate us all to act for better, common sense, gun laws in our country.
+Marc H. Andres
VIII Bishop of California
*****
SOUTHERN OHIO: We all are neighbors
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I am writing to you from the Church Divinity School in Berkeley, California, where I have just started teaching a two-week intensive course in Anglican moral theology. But I write with a heavy heart, as I know we are all grieving the Orlando attack. Once again we confront our seeming inability to confront and address the scourge of gun violence in our land. We mourn with the families of the victims. We mourn with the LGBTQ community as it continues to bear the burden of intolerance and disapprobation.
Nor should we forget to pray for the American Muslim community, which has been deeply shocked by this crime and yet again faces the threat of increased violence against its institutions and places of worship. This morning in my class, one of my students told us about the conversation he had when he went across the street at 7 am to buy a cup of coffee. The clerk asked him why he was up so early. "I'm on my way to Morning Prayer," was the student's reply. The clerk said, "Then pray for me. I am a Muslim who has been in this country for thirty years. I feel pain in my stomach about what has happened. I believe in tolerance."
We are all neighbors, even of those who hate us. Love is the only way through, as Jesus constantly reminds us. To love let us add clear thinking, sound policy, and effective neighboring. May we all take up our authority and our obligation as baptized persons to act as responsible moral agents in a frightened world.
Faithfully,
+Tom Breidenthal
IX Bishop of Southern Ohio
*****
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH in SOUTH CAROLINA: Remembering Mother Emanuel killings
Dear Friends,
As we remember the killings at Mother Emanuel one year ago, we now encounter another indication of the pervasive power of hatred, in Orlando. Because of our experience, we have a window through which to see the Florida tragedy. The view may be different, the landscape may have changed, but the setting of hatred's power is the same.
In response to this encounter with hate, though, we remember the example of the families of Emanuel's victims, who followed the example of Jesus himself. That example, of course, leads inextricably to love. And, from the time of the cross, hatred loses its power when confronted by love.
The families of Emanuel knew this. The families of Orlando will come to know the same, I pray. May we all learn that lesson from our Lord, even in the pain, grief, and anger cultivated by hatred. Love will have the final word, for love is of God... and God is love.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Charles G. vonRosenberg
Bishop Provisional
The Episcopal Church in South Carolina
*****
UPPER SOUTH CAROLINA: We've heard terrible news
Dear people of EDUSC,
We are all grieving at the terrible news we heard yesterday regarding the act of violence and hate committed in an Orlando night club. We lost 49 LGBTQ brothers and sisters and may lose more. One of those killed was from the Midlands, as was one of those injured. Pray for those who have died, their families, those who are injured and their families, as well as the Orlando community and the Midlands community. Pray for healing, and remember we must respond to hate and violence with love. Pray for the whole world, and pray that God might turn the hearts of those who have committed or would commit such acts of hatred. Pray for a new spirit of resistance against gun violence. Hold the broken hearts of the LGBTQ community in our diocese and in our community in prayer. Each of us is a precious child of God. Pray without ceasing.
Your brother in Christ,
+Andrew
The Rt. Rev. Andrew Waldo,
VIII Bishop of Upper South Carolina
*****
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/14/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-olympia-bishop/
OLYMPIA: A radicalized and misuse of religion
Once again our generation is witness to senseless killing from hands that should not have had such simple and easy access to guns, especially guns built for war with excessive power.
Guns that have no place on our streets. We witness yet again radicalized and misused religion as well, focused on hate and violence toward a specific group.
I ask your prayers for the victims in Orlando, those who mourn them, and for the injured as well. In our prayers we should not forget that daily the numbers affected by gun violence are equally as great or greater. Violence that goes unseen and unnoticed by most of us because the victims are not in one place at the hands of one, or directed at one community.
Nonetheless those deaths are equally to be mourned and are as every bit our concern and responsibility. We must, as a people, become mature enough to have a rational conversation and debate on these very things. Pray for that too.
The Rt. Rev. Greg Rickel
VIII Bishop of Olympia
*****
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/14/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-dallas-bishop/
DALLAS: Pray for tranquility and safety for all people
We as the Diocese of Dallas share the world's shock and abhorrence at the terrible act of violence at Pulse nightclub in Orlando this weekend. In our prayers we remember the victims who died, the wounded, and their families. We pray for God's restraining hand against such acts of hatred, madness, and fanaticism, and that He would turn the hearts of those inclined to such senseless violence. May our nation be, by God's grace, in our time a land of tranquillity and safety for all its people.
The Rt. Rev. George Sumner
VII Bishop of Dallas
*****
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/14/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-spokane-bishop/
SPOKANE: Life is holy, sacred and a gift from God
Dear friends,
Please hold in your prayers those who died, were injured, or who lost loved ones in the horrific shooting deaths at an Orlando, Florida club where at least 49 people were killed and many others injured, some gravely.
As we pray for all, may we do so mindful that the focus in our lessons and worship this Sunday morning was a call to proclaim that all life is sacred; a gift from God, and holy.
May we abhor and address vigorously the senseless violence that continues to wreak death and destruction on a daily basis.
+Jim
The Rt. Rev. James E. Waggoner, Jr.
VIII Bishop of Spokane
*****
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Live without fear
Live without fear, your creator has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you with a power and a presence that is stronger than death.
These words, adapted from a prayer of the twelfth century abbess St. Clare of Assisi, seem to resonant with many in the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire as they form a kind of preamble to the final blessing of the bishop at the conclusion of the Holy Eucharist. This coming Sunday morning, a week after the horrible news from Orlando was just being reported, I will say them again from an altar where we celebrate the Resurrection. I address this prayer as much to myself as I do to the congregations. Even when we know that God's intervention may not protect us from all suffering cause by disease or violence in this life, we all stand in need to be reminded of the indomitable power of God's love, exhibited most supremely in the course of his own brutal and unjust death. Even there on the Cross, the Gospel and the witness of theologians and artists through the ages assure us, even there on the Cross, God is at hand creating a good that is beyond our imagining or vision.
As our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry reminded us at his visit just last week, we are members of the Jesus Movement. After the murder in Orlando of 49 LGBTQ persons, brothers and sisters all because they are children of God, we who remain have work to do. After the vigils, the Supplications, and the moments of silence that are taking place this week--all holy and important responses to our national crisis--it's time for us to take action to reclaim the Gospel of Peace.
Recently, our Church published a series of essays by that title: Reclaiming the Gospel of Peace: Challenging the Epidemic of Gun Violence. I am supplying each of our parochial clergy with a copy as I urge them to use it in the coming year to begin deliberate conversations with our communities about this life and death issue facing our nation. Our own Father Bill Exner, recently retired Rector of St. Matthew's Church in Goffstown, contributed a chapter in this book in which he describes how he engaged in conversation with local gun shops. Such conversations represent real and courageous leadership in these times. They are actions that can come out of the many moments of silence we have all been invited to after such events as Orlando, San Bernadino, Charleston, Sandy Hook...
Bill readily agreed to help us organize and lead holy conversations in our congregations about guns, the Cross, and our Church's response through the Resolutions of General Convention and more locally. I look forward to working with him, a man who knows how to lead healthful, respectful discussions about difficult topics. Without doubt, more actions, guided by the Holy Spirit, will come of these conversations.
Within each of our communities are persons like me. I do not own a gun, having been raised by a veteran who instilled in me a robust fear of weapons. There are members of our Church who own guns, not merely for sport, but to put food on the table. There are also those who are adamant that any new restrictive gun legislation, even involving military assault weapons, will be an unwelcome infringement on their Constitutional rights. I suspect that we have not spoken about these differences, not so much out of courtesy, but out of fear of hearing things that frighten us.
America's relationship with the gun is an issue that engages some of our deepest fears--fears about our society, about personal safety, fears about the security of community in an age of terrorism. I am convinced it is also a deeply theological issue that asks each of us: to whom do we put our ultimate trust as a follower of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who told his disciples to put down their own weapons?
Clearly, there is a range of acceptable responses to this question. As the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement, the Church would be negligent if we did not consult with Scripture, Reason, and Tradition to help inform our conscience about these critical matters that plague us now: terrorism, homophobia, the epidemic of violence of so many kinds, racism, xenophobia of all kinds, and the ongoing threats to our planet's fragile health. These are all matters of deep and ongoing concern. But at this moment, guns have our attention. May our churches be places of civil and respectful conversation.
My deepest and continual prayer is that we do not give our lives over to fear, but may live in that radical freedom that comes when we live fully in the Risen Christ.
Yours in the Peace and Love of Christ,
+Rob
The Right Reverend A. Robert Hirschfeld
X Bishop of New Hampshire
+++ THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION RESPONDS +++
ARCHBISHOPS OF CANTERBURY AND YORK: Call for solidarity with LGBTI people after the attack in Orlando
"After Sunday's attack in Orlando as Christians we must speak out in support of LGBTI people, who have become the latest group to be so brutally targeted by the forces of evil. We must pray, weep with those affected, support the bereaved, and love without qualification.
"The obligation to object to these acts of persecution, and to support those LGBTI people who are wickedly and cruelly killed and wounded, bereaved and traumatised, whether in Orlando or elsewhere, is an absolute call on our Christian discipleship. It arises from the unshakeable certainty of the gracious love of God for every human being.
"Now, in this time of heartbreak and grief, is a time for solidarity. May God our Father give grace and comfort to all who mourn, and divine compassion to us all."
Justin Welby
Archbishop of Canterbury
John Sentamu
Archbishop of York
+>
http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2016/06/orlando-shooting-words-of-condolence-have-little-value.aspx
ARCHBISHOP OF CAPE TOWN: Praying for those in the massacre at Pulse nightclub
We pray for the families of those gunned down and killed in the terrible massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, yesterday. We pray for the recovery of those injured, for the LGBT community and the people of Orlando.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba
Archbishop of Cape Town
+>
ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN:
Outrage and incredulity combine as we in Ireland, like the rest of the world, try to take in the enormity and the evil of the horrific events in Orlando, Florida, over the weekend.
These events, targeting a specific section of the community, have, once again, brought terror and hatred to the forefront in a place where people have been among friends and living their lives.
As people come to terms with the attack on Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, we hold all those who have lost their loved ones and all who have been injured and traumatised by the mass shooting in our prayers. We remember victims, friends and family members at this time of devastation. We echo the statements which say that this had nothing to do with religion.
These events are becoming all too common. It is for this reason that we hold before God each individual who has suffered and each individual who has died as a special person and as a child of God's creation. Right across the faiths of the world we long and pray for a time when there will be an end to such attacks and an end to the needless and senseless loss of human life.
A candle will be lit at the Church of Ireland's Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin Tuesday in memory of those who died in the attack, to help people to pray for the victims and all affected by the shooting.
The Most Revd Michael Jackson
Archbishop of Dublin
+>
http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2016/06/orlando-shooting-words-of-condolence-have-little-value.aspx
BISHOP OF EGYPT: Saddened by the Orlando murder of 50 people
We were saddened by news of the attack in Orlando, Florida and the murder of at least fifty people, plus many wounded. We stand strongly against any kind of violence, especially where individuals think to take the position of God in punishing others. We pray for the victims' families and friends and nation.
Archbishop Mouneer Anis
The Primate of Jerusalem and the Middle East
+>
http://anglicanchurch.net/?/main/page/1249
ACNA: Archbishop Foley Beach issues call to prayer
Please join me in praying for the victims, dead and wounded, and their families of the horrific shooting attack at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
"Most merciful God, whose wisdom is beyond our understanding: Deal graciously with those affected, in their grief. Surround them with your love, that they may not be overwhelmed by their loss, but have confidence in your goodness, and strength to meet the days to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
+>
CofE PRIEST PETER OULD: The America response is how dare you attack Americans; the international reaction is how dare you attack gay people
The general response (in England) has been to see that this is primarily as a clear attack on gay people. This was a targeted attach on gay people which might have had a religious motivation to it. It was primarily a targeted attack -- driven out of what is really homophobia -- aggressive, assertive, offensive hatred for people simply for being gay.
+>
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/06/17/prayers-for-orlando-statement-from-europe-bishop/
EUROPE: I'm deeply shocked by this bloody act
To the faithful in Europe, and all people of good will,
Before becoming Bishop, I was rector in a parish in Fort Pierce, in the Diocese of Central Florida, whose see city is Orlando. The killer came from Fort Pierce, where he had worked as a guard at the courthouse across the street from our church. So I feel even more deeply shocked by this bloody act.
As with us in Paris last year, and Brussels more recently, the killer, Omar Mateen, was a home-grown terrorist, born and bred in the United States. He had found a way to channel his mental problems into the caricature of Islam promoted by ISIS. That group has been very successful in preying upon disturbed and immature people with their propaganda. What we can do is first, to pray for the spiritual resources to confront their lies, second, to help those people who are learning how to counter their manipulations, and third, to support local efforts to join with Muslims in condemning terror and promoting peace in the name of God.
It is ever more vital for us to maintain and make known our welcome of all people: God's love makes no exceptions. No religion can ever justify marginalizing God's beloved, let alone murder, and that includes LGBT people. My heart goes out to all those whose fears of being attacked for who they are have reawakened, thanks to this heinous act.
I am a member of Bishops United Against Gun Violence, a large group of Episcopal bishops who are working to raise awareness of ways to stem the bloody tide of gun violence. While it is principally concerned with the United States, we in Europe know about gun violence as well. Everyone knows that American laws must be changed, so that people like Mateen cannot legally buy assault weapons ever again.
None of us should fear getting shot as we go about our everyday lives, but the reality of the recent shootings causes us all to consider our own safety and the safety of our loved ones. The wider culture, that too often promotes gunfire as a solution to problems, must be transformed, and we must all share responsibility for helping to initiate this work.
We in Paris are grateful to the soldiers who shield us from harm at church. But Episcopalians everywhere, including us, must hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches: end gun violence, in the name of the Prince of Peace.
May the souls of the departed find rest in Christ; may the wounded and all who care for them know the balm of God's healing love; and may the Holy Spirit inspire and direct us to the work of making lasting peace. Amen.
+Pierre Whalon
IV Bishop-in-Charge
Episcopal Churches in Europe
+>
+++ ECUMENICAL CHRISTIANS RESPOND +++
POPE FRANCIS: Desires peace for the American people
Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, S.J., also issued the following statement on behalf of His Holiness, Pope Francis: "The terrible massacre that has taken place in Orlando, with its dreadfully high number of innocent victims, has caused in Pope Francis, and in all of us, the deepest feelings of horror and condemnation, of pain and turmoil before this new manifestation of homicidal folly and senseless hatred. Pope Francis joins the families of the victims and all of the injured in prayer and in compassion. Sharing in their indescribable suffering, he entrusts them to the Lord so they may find comfort. We all hope that ways may be found, as soon as possible, to effectively identify and contrast the causes of such terrible and absurd violence which so deeply upsets the desire for peace of the American people and of the whole of humanity."
+>
http://www.usccb.org/news/2016/16-071.cfm
UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS: How precious human life is
Waking up to the unspeakable violence in Orlando reminds us of how precious human life is. Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by this terrible act. The merciful love of Christ call us to solidarity with the suffering and to ever greater resolve in protecting the life and dignity of every person.
The Most Rev. Joseph Kurtz
Archbishop of Louisville and
USCCB President
+>
ORLANDO CATHOLIC BISHOP: A sword has pierced the heart of our city
"A sword has pierced the heart of our city. Since learning of the tragedy this morning, I have urged all to pray for the victims, the families and first responders. I pray that the Lord's mercy will be upon us during this time of sadness, shock and confusion. I urge people of faith to turn their hearts and souls to the great physician, our Lord Jesus Christ, who consoles and carries us through suffering with mercy and tenderness. The healing power of Jesus goes beyond our physical wounds but touches every level of our humanity: physical, emotional, social, spiritual. Jesus calls us to remain fervent in our protection of life and human dignity and to pray unceasingly for peace in our world.
Priests, deacons and counselors from the Diocese of Orlando and Catholic Charities of Central Florida are serving at the Aid Center established by the City of Orlando. They are on site helping victims and families on the front lines of this tragedy. Throughout the day, they are offering God's love and mercy to those who are facing unimaginable sorrow. They will remain vigilant and responsive to the needs of our hurting brothers and sisters.
I have asked all of our parishes to include prayer intentions during the celebration of Sunday Mass today where close to 400,000 registered Catholics participate in nine counties of Central Florida. At our 91 parishes and missions, today's prayers have been offered for victims of violence and acts of terror...for their families and friends...and all those affected by such acts against God's love. We pray for the people of the city of Orlando that God's mercy and love will be upon us as we seek healing and consolation.
The Most Rev. John Noonan
Catholic Bishop of Orlando
+>
http://flgadistrict.org/pray-for-orlando/
MISSOURI SYNOD LUTHERAN CHURCH: Satan is working overtime
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Somber greetings in the Lord of Life, Jesus!
Early Sunday morning I received word about the catastrophic slaughter of what is now reported as 49 people mercilessly gunned down at a Club in Orlando. While details continue to emerge and in some cases remain sketchy, this has a tremendous impact on this whole community, and the world is watching us. While the incident took place at a gay nightclub, the effect is felt well beyond. These victims, including the shooter, were sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends. They were co-workers and probably even some who worshipped in area churches. So many lives tragically cut short. Many are still hospitalized and we don't know if the number of dead will continue to grow.
In these days there are very few families that aren't impacted in some way by the LGBT community. Our hearts are broken for these families who have been torn apart. This has been described as the worst killing spree in the United States. It has left many in fear, traumatized by these heinous events. It's a stark reminder that we live in a broken world.
Orlando Mayor, Buddy Dyer, has asked that community vigils not be planned right now as it puts a further strain on already stretched law enforcement officers. Both Trinity Lutheran and Prince of Peace are planning their own vigils for later this week. We will post information as it becomes available about other activities. Right now law enforcement is focused on protecting and assisting victims of this crime and doesn't need additional community concerns. We are working with the City of Orlando, through Pastor Billy Brath, to provide assistance in whatever way might seem best. Dr. Rick Armstrong with Lutheran Counseling Services has assured me that they stand ready to help as well. In addition, Tim Hetzner with Lutheran Church Charities in Chicago has offered to bring K-9 Comfort Dogs to help bring comfort to those who are grieving, throughout Orlando.
What can you do? Please pray for this city. Satan is working overtime, instilling fear and hate in many. We need to respond in the love of Jesus. Yesterday morning I worshipped at Prince of Peace in Orlando, and Pastor Ken Green preached on the Good Samaritan. While this was not planned with this present tragedy in mind it spoke loudly. Jesus commended the Samaritan for putting his personal beliefs aside to help someone in need. He didn't focus on the differences or the things that kept them apart, he simply led with his heart and cared for the one in need. Hurting and confused people are all around us, not just those impacted by this event, but in all our communities impacted by hate, prejudice and fear. We can make a difference by standing together in the love of Jesus. Regardless of all the differences, despite the fact that we are all sinners, the love of Jesus is more powerful! His love is more powerful than fear, more powerful than hate, more powerful than differences, even more powerful than our sin, which often divides.
The Apostle John writes, in his first Epistle, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 Jn 4:18--21).
This is the time for us to brightly shine with the love of Jesus; to be those havens of love and grace that Jesus has called His church to be. This is a time to be not just hearers of the Word, but doers. This is not a time to be arm-chair quarterbacks. This is not a time to stand in judgment or condemnation. This is a time to not only talk about the love of Jesus, but to find ways to show it, wherever we may be.
Satan continues to wage his war, but we know how the story ends! We have the victory in Jesus! He is the solution to the problems of the world. So with the writer to the Hebrews, I encourage you, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart'" (Heb 12:2--3).
In times like these, when our hearts are aching and filled with confusion, we can still trust the God who brought order out of chaos, and continues to do that even now. In all these things He is somehow at work for good! We can place our trust in Him.
Again, please pray for Orlando, as we trust the Lord to give us wisdom in the midst of hurt.
In God's peace,
The Rev. Greg Walton
President, Florida-Georgia District
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
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https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/7834
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA: We are killing ourselves
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
"So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them." Genesis 1:27
We are killing ourselves. We believe that all people are created in God's image. All of humanity bears a family resemblance. Those murdered in Orlando were not abstract "others," they are us. But somehow, in the mind of a deeply disturbed gunman, the LGBTQ community was severed from our common humanity. This separation led to the death of 49 and the wounding of 54 of us.
We live in an increasingly divided and polarized society. Too often we sort ourselves into like-minded groups and sort others out. It is a short distance from division to demonization. Yesterday, we witnessed the tragic consequences of this.
There is another way. In Christ God has reconciled the world to God's self. Jesus lived among us sharing our humanity. Jesus died for us to restore our humanity. God invites us into this reconciling work. This must be our witness as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The perpetrator of this hate crime did not come out of nowhere. He was shaped by our culture of division, which itself has been misshapen by the manipulation of our fears. That is not who we are. St. Paul wrote, "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ" (II Corinthians 5:17-20).
Our work begins now. We need to examine ourselves, individually and as a church, to acknowledge the ways we have divided and have been divided. We must stand with people who have been "othered". We must speak peace and reconciliation into the cacophony of hatred and division. We must live the truth that all people are created in God's image.
This morning your churchwide staff came together to mourn and to pray. We prayed for those killed in Orlando and remembered the Charleston Nine killed only a year ago. We prayed for the family of the shooter, for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and for our Muslim brothers and sisters who now face the threat of retaliation. And we prayed that the Prince of Peace will bring us to the day when we stop killing ourselves.
Your sister in Christ,
Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
http://livereligion.com/methodist-news/church-leaders-respond-to-orlando-shooting/
SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION: Rise up and pray
As our hearts break for the people of Orlando, we call upon each of us in our nation and beyond to rise up and pray for the families of the victims and the entire city of Orlando. Through this tragedy, we will have opportunities to communicate hope and love like never before.
Ronnie Floyd
President, Southern Baptist Convention
livereligion.com/methodist-news/church-leaders-respond-to-orlando-shooting/
UNITED METHODIST COUNCIL OF BISHOPS: We stand with our Muslim brothers and sisters who condemn this act
United Methodists across the world are horrified by the despicable act of terrorism in Orlando, Florida, that took the lives of 49 individuals and wounded 53 others.
We are in shock. We join those who grieve. We pray for the victims, their families, and the LGBTQ community targeted by this hateful attack. We stand against all forms of violence, committed anywhere in the world by anyone.
We stand with our Muslim brothers and sisters who have condemned this heinous act. We pledge to work together to overcome evil with good, terrorism with peace, hatred with love, and inequity with justice.
We commend the Florida Annual Conference as they gather this week in Orlando. They, along with Bishop Ken Carter, are our connectional presence in the midst of this tragedy. We pray that God will work through them to be a source of Christ's witness, reconciliation and healing to the brokenness of an entire community.
As the people called United Methodist, let us not lose heart, but redouble our commitment and efforts to fulfill God's vision of the Beloved Community throughout the world. As we combat evil, let us not let evil fill our hearts. As we struggle to end violence, let us not let violence become our way of life. As we battle terrorism, let us not become terrorists in the process. As we seek to be vigilant, let us not let fear curtail our hospitality. As we pray for peace, let it begin within our own spirits.
Bishop Bruce R. Ough
President, United Methodist Council of Bishops
http://www.umc.org/news-and-media/florida-bishop-responds-to-massacre
FLORIDA UNITED METHODIST BISHOP: Share God's unconditional love
Today I am lifting up the clergy and laity who will lead worship in our #Orlando churches. May you announce God's unconditional love for all people and God's desire for nonviolence through Jesus Christ, who is our peace.
And as United Methodists from across Florida travel to Orlando for annual conference this week, I hope we can discover creative, pastoral and grace-filled ways to bear witness to all -- including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons -- that together we are God's beloved children. With thousands of us gathered in Orlando this week, what if God is calling us to be a part of the healing?
As we gather for annual conference, I know that we will offer an expression of peace, healing and solidarity with the Orlando community.
Methodist Bishop Kenneth Carter, Jr.
Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church
http://livereligion.com/methodist-news/church-leaders-respond-to-orlando-shooting/
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (UAS): Community is on edge and upset
It's been a shock to the system as far as the city is concerned. The whole image of Orlando as a happy place for people to come and get away from this has been shaken. This event, the largest mass shooting in American history, has been sobering and the whole community is on edge and upset.
One congregation has a member whose cousin was the one texting his mom from the club bathroom as the gunman made his way through the facility. We learned the middle of the day yesterday, that he was among the deceased.
We have to wait and see what the needs are going to be moving forward. The situation is so fluid right now, no one has a clear handle on it. The mayor's office has asked that we hold back on any public vigils because they don't have the police resources available to provide coverage for large gatherings, so we've passed that word around.
Executive Presbyter Dan Williams
Central Florida Presbytery
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livereligion.com/methodist-news/church-leaders-respond-to-orlando-shooting/
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST: Praises President Obama
The United Church of Christ mourns the tragic loss in the aftermath of what is now believed to be the largest mass shooting in the U.S. We are mindful of the many family members whose grief will be deep, and will linger for some time. We lift every one of them up in prayer.
We are grateful to President Obama for the swift action suspending HIPAA laws so that loved ones can be with their injured spouses and help make decisions about their care -- an often overlooked right that many in the LGBT community cannot take for granted.
While it is too soon to speak about motives, the United Church of Christ nonetheless calls upon all leaders of religious and political bodies to end the constant rhetoric that demonizes same gender loving people. Our speech has consequences, and this is not the first time violence has been directed at the LGBT community with very tragic consequences. It is long past the time that we end this, including tolerating what amounts to hate speech and homophobia masquerading as religion. It is also long past the time that America enacts sane gun control legislation. Our souls and spirits cannot abide for long when this kind of tragedy is commonplace; and when no substantive action is taken in response to these mass shootings. Our grief, all too real, is not assuaged by what can be the redemptive act of doing all we can to reduce the likelihood of it ever happening again.
The Rev. John C. Dorhauer
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ
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+++INTER FAITH GROUPS RESPOND+++
http://www.rfpusa.org/religions-for-peace-usa-statement-on-orlando-shooting/
RELIGIONS FOR PEACE - USA: There is no excuse for such brutality
On behalf of our 50 national religious member communities, Religions for Peace USA lifts up prayers and sends our deepest condolences to the victims of the sickening attack this morning in Orlando, Florida, that left 50 people dead and 53 injured. We especially stand with LGBTQ people who were the target of this vicious attack.
There is no excuse for such brutality.
Such attacks wound our shared humanity and confront us with a stark choice: to mimic the hatred we see or to make a bold commitment to overcome it. For Religions for Peace USA, the interconnected nature of our world means simply this: we must all become peace-makers now. For, if we respond to every act of violence with a thirst for yet more violence in revenge, we will undoubtedly succeed in little more than inflicting unspeakable suffering on one another. There must be a dedication to seeking and building a future in which the chains of suffering and violence are broken.
Religions around the world call us to our highest and best values -- values which lead us to courageous peace-making on every level. We, therefore, urge people everywhere, to make a fresh commitment to building a world of peace and justice and doing all we can to renounce violent language and actions wherever they arise. This requires that we must reach beyond and across lines of human difference -- religion, race, nationality and sexual identity -- to form active relationships that honor and protect the lives, humanity and dignity of all.
We urgently call on people of faith and goodwill everywhere to recommit ourselves to peacemaking, to heal all wounds of violence and injustice; to build bridges of hope and to bring down walls of fear and hatred. Cruel suffering like we see inflicted on people in Orlando demands that we become more determined than ever to enter places where violence has already left deep pain and suffering, and in their place bring healing, justice and peace.
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THE COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: CAIR-Florida Condemns Orlando shooting
We condemn this monstrous attack and offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of all those killed or injured. The Muslim community joins our fellow Americans in repudiating anyone or any group that would claim to justify or excuse such an appalling act of violence.
Rasha Mubarak
Orlando Regional
*****
As Muslims, as Americans, now is the time to speak out and make it clear we will not give in to hate. We will not give in to fear. I have a word for ISIS and their supporters. You don't speak for us.
Dawud Walid
Executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
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+++ POLITICIANS RESPOND+++
http://burundi.usembassy.gov/sp-061216.html
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We are united in grief and outrage
Today, as Americans, we grieve the brutal murder -- a horrific massacre -- of dozens of innocent people. We pray for their families, who are grasping for answers with broken hearts. We stand with the people of Orlando, who have endured a terrible attack on their city. Although it's still early in the investigation, we know enough to say that this was an act of terror and an act of hate. And as Americans, we are united in grief, in outrage, and in resolve to defend our people.
I just finished a meeting with FBI Director Comey and my homeland security and national security advisors. The FBI is on the scene and leading the investigation, in partnership with local law enforcement. I've directed that the full resources of the federal government be made available for this investigation.
We are still learning all the facts. This is an open investigation. We've reached no definitive judgment on the precise motivations of the killer. The FBI is appropriately investigating this as an act of terrorism. And I've directed that we must spare no effort to determine what -- if any -- inspiration or association this killer may have had with terrorist groups. What is clear is that he was a person filled with hatred. Over the coming days, we'll uncover why and how this happened, and we will go wherever the facts lead us.
This morning I spoke with my good friend, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and I conveyed the condolences of the entire American people. This could have been any one of our communities. So I told Mayor Dyer that whatever help he and the people of Orlando need -- they are going to get it. As a country, we will be there for the people of Orlando today, tomorrow and for all the days to come.
We also express our profound gratitude to all the police and first responders who rushed into harm's way. Their courage and professionalism saved lives, and kept the carnage from being even worse. It's the kind of sacrifice that our law enforcement professionals make every single day for all of us, and we can never thank them enough.
This is an especially heartbreaking day for all our friends -- our fellow Americans -- who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The shooter targeted a nightclub where people came together to be with friends, to dance and to sing, and to live. The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub -- it is a place of solidarity and empowerment where people have come together to raise awareness, to speak their minds, and to advocate for their civil rights.
So this is a sobering reminder that attacks on any American -- regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation -- is an attack on all of us and on the fundamental values of equality and dignity that define us as a country. And no act of hate or terror will ever change who we are or the values that make us Americans.
Today marks the most deadly shooting in American history. The shooter was apparently armed with a handgun and a powerful assault rifle. This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that's the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well.
In the coming hours and days, we'll learn about the victims of this tragedy. Their names. Their faces. Who they were. The joy that they brought to families and to friends, and the difference that they made in this world. Say a prayer for them and say a prayer for their families -- that God give them the strength to bear the unbearable. And that He give us all the strength to be there for them, and the strength and courage to change. We need to demonstrate that we are defined more -- as a country -- by the way they lived their lives than by the hate of the man who took them from us.
As we go together, we will draw inspiration from heroic and selfless acts -- friends who helped friends, took care of each other and saved lives. In the face of hate and violence, we will love one another. We will not give in to fear or turn against each other. Instead, we will stand united, as Americans, to protect our people, and defend our nation, and to take action against those who threaten us.
May God bless the Americans we lost this morning. May He comfort their families. May God continue to watch over this country that we love. Thank you.
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http://www.chronicletodaynetwork.com/un-secretary-general-british-pm-slams-orlando-mass-shooting/
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON: Expressed horror at the shooting attack
I'm horrified by reports of the overnight shooting in Orlando. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.
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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NIGHTCLUB_SHOOTING_FLORIDA_QUOTES?SITE=NCJAC&SECTION=US
UN SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON: Sends his condolences
The Secretary-General condemns the horrific attack this morning in Orlando, Florida, in which dozens of people were killed and injured. He extends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and expresses his solidarity with the Government and people of the United States.
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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NIGHTCLUB_SHOOTING_FLORIDA_QUOTES?SITE=NCJAC&SECTION=US
CANADIAN PRIME MINSTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU: A domestic terror attack on the LGBTQ2
While authorities are still investigating and details continue to be confirmed, it is appalling that as many as 50 lives may have been lost to this domestic terror attack targeting the LGBTQ2 community.
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http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/world-leaders-condemn-orlando-shooting-160612174312326.html
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Standing shoulder to shoulder with America
Israel stands shoulder to shoulder alongside the United States at this moment of tragic loss.
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http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/world-leaders-condemn-orlando-shooting-160612174312326.html
LONDON (ENGLAND) MAYOR SADIQ KHAN: Stands against hatred and bigotry
I stand with the City of Orlando against hate and bigotry. My thoughts are with all the victims of this horrific attack.
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http://www.towleroad.com/2016/06/clinton-orlando/
HILLARY CILNTON: Hate has no place in America
I join Americans in praying for the victims of the attack in Orlando, their families and the first responders who did everything they could to save lives.
This was an act of terror. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies are hard at work, and we will learn more in the hours and days ahead. For now, we can say for certain that we need to redouble our efforts to defend our country from threats at home and abroad. That means defeating international terror groups, working with allies and partners to go after them wherever they are, countering their attempts to recruit people here and everywhere, and hardening our defenses at home. It also means refusing to be intimidated and staying true to our values.
This was also an act of hate. The gunman attacked an LGBT nightclub during Pride Month. To the LGBT community: please know that you have millions of allies across our country. I am one of them. We will keep fighting for your right to live freely, openly and without fear. Hate has absolutely no place in America.
Finally, we need to keep guns like the ones used last night out of the hands of terrorists or other violent criminals. This is the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States and it reminds us once more that weapons of war have no place on our streets.
This is a time to stand together and resolve to do everything we can to defend our communities and country.
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https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump
DONALD TRUMP: Unleashes Tweeting storm
Really bad shooting in Orlando. Police investigating possible terrorism. Many people dead and wounded.
Horrific incident in FL. Praying for all the victims & their families. When will this stop? When will we get tough, smart & vigilant?
Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don't want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!
Is President Obama going to finally mention the words radical Islamic terrorism? If he doesn't he should immediately resign in disgrace!
Reporting that Orlando killer shouted "Allah hu Akbar!" as he slaughtered clubgoers. 2nd man arrested in LA with rifles near Gay parade.
What has happened in Orlando is just the beginning. Our leadership is weak and ineffective. I called it and asked for the ban. Must be tough
I have been hitting Obama and Crooked Hillary hard on not using the term Radical Islamic Terror. Hillary just broke-said she would now use!
I will be going to New Hampshire today, home of my first primary victory, to discuss terror and the horrible events of yesterday. 2:30 P.M.
I am watching @FoxNews and how fairly they are treating me and my words, and @CNN, and the total distortion of my words and what I am saying.
In my speech on protecting America I spoke about a temporary ban, which includes suspending immigration from nations tied to Islamic terror.
I thought people weren't celebrating? They were cheering all over, even this savage from Orlando. I was right.
Saudi Arabia and many of the countries that gave vast amounts of money to the Clinton Foundation want women as slaves and to kill gays. Hillary must return all money from such countries!
Crooked Hillary says we must call on Saudi Arabia and other countries to stop funding hate. I am calling on her to immediately return the $25 million plus she got from them for the Clinton Foundation!
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BERNIE SANDER: Criminals and people who are mentally ill should not have guns
It's horrific. It's unthinkable, and just hopes go out to those who were shot that they can recover, and I've got to tell you for 25 years now, I've believed that we should not be selling automatic weapons which are designed to kill people, and we've got to do everything we can on top of that to make sure that guns do not fall into the hands of people who should not have them. Criminals and people who are mentally ill, so that struggle continues.
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FLORIDA GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT: This is an act of terror
"This is clearly an act of terrorism. You just can't imagine this would happen to our community, our state or anywhere in our country, but for somebody to go in there and be an active shooter and take those -- that number of lives and injure that many people is clearly an act of terror.
For anybody that thinks that they should do this, I can tell you the state of Florida, the local law enforcement will be swift in their justice.
We have great law enforcement in our state, and they're always going to do the right thing.
I've got kids and grandkids. You can't imagine. The Orlando area, the Orange County area, the state of Florida -- we're very resilient. We will come together and do everything we can to help everybody that's been impacted.
We're dealing with a tragedy right now. Our prayers go out to everybody impacted. Law enforcement is doing their job. There will be plenty of time to think about how we continue to improve our society, and we're going to think about how we can do that.
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ORLANDO MAYOR BUDDY DYER: Orlando will not defined by the act of a hateful murderer
We will not be defined by the act of a hateful murderer. We will not. We will be defined by how we respond and how we are responding: with love, with compassion, with unity among our city.
I'm so proud of how our city has come together to support the families and the friends of the victims, those deceased and those that are still recovering in the hospital.
We've learned a lot about the shooter, but we have not learned anything about why he chose to drive an hour and a half north to commit his crime.
Also unclear at this stage is the short- and long-term impact the mass shooting will have on tourism, the region's economic lifeblood. Dyer said he hopes the impact will be limited by the circumstances of the violence.
I think, with the world-wide news... it's been portrayed as an isolated act of a lone terrorist, and I'm hopeful that it won't have an impact on the tourism community.
I don't think we change a bit. We don't change who we are. We're a model community in terms of blending of culture, blending of ethnicity, acceptance of sexual orientation, so I don't think we change -- and we make sure that we don't.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-shooting-claim-confirmation-idUSKCN0YY0X0
FLORIDA SENATOR BILL YOUNG: ISIS connection not confirmed
The Islamic State's news agency has just issued a statement that says that they are responsible. That has not been confirmed. We'll have to see what those connections are once we get the details.
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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NIGHTCLUB_SHOOTING_FLORIDA_QUOTES?SITE=NCJAC&SECTION=US
ORANGE COUNTY (FLORIDA) SHERIFF JERRY DEMINGS: This classifies as domestic terror
This is an incident, as I see it, that we certainly classify as domestic terror incident.
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+++GAY GROUPS RESPOND+++
INTEGRITY USA: Having a difficult time praying in the face of sudden death
"We pray for our enemies and those who wish us harm. Deliver them AND US from hatred, cruelty and revenge."
I am having a difficult time praying this prayer right now. This morning I was in the chapel at Kanuga Conference Center near Hendersonville, North Carolina. I was getting ready to deliver the sermon for the close of the 25th Annual HIV/AIDS Retreat, sponsored by the Province IV Network of AIDS Ministries when I learned of the terrorist attack at a large gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which left 52 dead and 50 wounded.
The entire weekend had been about HIV/AIDS including the impact of those deaths from the early days and still today. Now we were to deal with impact of 52 sudden deaths -- deaths of ordinary people who were enjoying a social evening....thinking that they were safe at a nightclub many frequented on a regular basis. Some of you reading this now may have been there -- or a place like it at one time.
It is clear that, while it is being investigated as a terrorist attack and is the largest mass shooting in our nation's history, this is a hate crime. And the hate that prompts such actions on the part of this killer and others is the hatred of those who are different. Being different should never result in losing one's life.
Yet it has and continues to be so. "Being different" is why working toward finding a cure for and funding prevention against infection for HIV/AIDS was delayed, turning an epidemic into a worldwide pandemic. "Being different" is what caused the tangential epidemic of "Afraids," causing so many tragic, senseless deaths. Too soon. So young.
Apparently the hatred was directed at people who were either LGBT or were friends and colleagues of folks who were LGBT. We seem to have become obsessed with acts of hatred against people who are somehow different, whether it is because of sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, gender expression, gender identity or any other difference that for some is beyond what they will allow to simply exist.
Integrity USA decries these murders. Integrity USA decries all acts of violence that are directed at any of God's children but particularly those that are directed against those children of God who are different, no matter what reason they might be seen as different.
It would be easy to be "the same" and return hate and violence with equal levels of hatred and violence. Let us be of the same mind as Christ and choose love and peace. Let us not be intimidated into isolation and shame but let us stand together in pride. Now, more than ever, we need to continue to let our light so shine that the truth will have won out and love will win.
Pray for the victims of this mass shooting my kindred in Christ. Pray for the families and loved ones who now grieve. Pray for the recovery of the wounded. Pray for our nation that the hatred which infects us will be taken from our hearts and minds. Pray most of all that God's infinite and indiscriminate love will ultimately prevail over the evil that has caused the deaths of dozens....in Orlando, in Charleston, in Columbine, and everywhere that innocent blood has been shed in the name of hate.
May the dead rest in peace and rise in glory. May the wounded experience healing of body, mind and soul. May the living strive for an end to such senseless violence.
Bruce Garner
President, Integrity USA
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https://www.dignityusa.org/article/attack-gay-nightclub-trauma-lgbtq-community
DIGNITY USA: Disappointed Orlando shooting happened during GAY PRIDE month
DignityUSA, the organization of Catholics committed to equality and justice for LGBTQ people, offers our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives during the overnight attack at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. We offer prayers and support to the injured, and to those who witnessed the horrors of this attack. We thank the law enforcement officers who responded for their response, which prevented further loss of life.
Marianne Duddy-Burke, DignityUSA's Executive Director: It is very disturbing that an attack like this occurred during Pride month, when LGBTQ people and supporters all across the U.S. celebrate the gains we have achieved, and renew our commitment to continuing to press for civil and cultural equality," said. "This cruel attack will make many LGBTQ people feel unsafe and experience anxiety. For many, it will awaken memories of the days when gay bar patrons were frequently the targets of violence.
There is still much we do not know about this attack. We, along with the rest of the nation, we will await additional information. In the meantime, we hope and pray that our nation will come together to reject violence against LGBTQ people in the strongest possible ways. We reaffirm our commitment to working for justice, full inclusion, and equality for LGBTQ people in our Church and society.
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GAY ORLANDO: It's a sad day for the Orlando gay community
We are deeply saddened by the tragic shootings at Pulse nightclub Sunday morning. Please keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers. It is a very sad day for our Orlando LGBT family. Our sympathy goes out to the victims, families and everyone in our Orlando City Beautiful community affected by this tragedy. We are absolutely heartbroken.
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http://www.hrc.org/blog/human-rights-campaign-statement-on-tragic-shooting-at-orlando-nightclub-ser
HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN: This tragedy has occurred as our community celebrates pride
We are devastated by this tragic act of violence, which has reportedly claimed the lives of at least 50 LGBTQ people and allies and injured more than 50 others. We are grieving for the victims and our hearts are broken for their friends, families, and for the entire community. This tragedy has occurred as our community celebrates pride, and now more than ever we must come together as a nation to affirm that love conquers hate.
We are grateful that President Obama has directed the FBI and other federal agencies to support the investigation of this attack and the LGBTQ community during this time.
Chad Griffin
President, HRC
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EQUALITY FLORIDA: Reeling from the tragic news
We are reeling from the tragic news that a gunman opened fire on the 2 am capacity crowd at Pulse leaving 50 people dead and over 50 injured according to preliminary reports.
We are heartbroken and angry that senseless violence has once again destroyed lives in our state and in our country.
Gay clubs hold a significant place in LGBTQ history. They were often the only safe gathering place and this horrific act strikes directly at our sense of safety. June commemorates our community standing up to anti-LGBTQ violence at the Stonewall Inn, the nightclub that has become the first LGBTQ site recognized as a national monument.
We have received a steady stream of emails and messages from those seeking to help or to make sense of the senseless. We make no assumptions on motive. We will await the details in tears of sadness and anger. We stand in solidarity and keep our thoughts on all whose lives have been lost or altered forever in this tragedy.
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GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation): Horrific tragedy in Orlando, Florida
Our hearts are broken for the victims and families of the horrific tragedy in Orlando. This unimaginable atrocity has not only robbed countless people of their loved ones, it has also stolen a sense of safety within the LGBTQ community. As we mourn the victims of this unspeakable attack, we are also reminded that the work to end hate in all its forms must continue.
Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline
