Minnesota Bishop Robert Barron has strongly criticized Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for dismissing calls for prayer following a deadly shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis.
The bishop described the mayor’s remarks as “completely asinine” and emphasized the importance of prayer in times of great pain and suffering.
Bishop Barron argued that prayer is not a magical solution to suffering, but rather a way to raise one’s mind and heart to God. He cited the example of Martin Luther King, a man of deep prayer who also played a key role in the civil rights movement.
The bishop also highlighted the growing trend of violent acts against Christians and Christian churches in the United States.
According to his statistics, there has been a 700% increase in such incidents over the past seven years. Worldwide, Christianity is the most persecuted religion, making it puzzling that some might hesitate to label the Minneapolis shooting as an anti-Catholic act.
Bishop Barron asked why people would doubt that the shooting, which targeted a Catholic church during prayer, was an anti-Catholic act. He compared it to similar attacks on synagogues or mosques, which would be immediately recognized as hate crimes.
The FBI is investigating the attack as both a possible act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.