Catholic leaders denounce arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro’s home
The Catholic Herald• April 16, 2025
Catholic leaders in the US State of Pennsylvania have decried violence and intolerance, alongside offering prayers for Governor Josh Shapiro and his family, after a man was arrested and charged with attempting to set the governor’s residence ablaze early on Sunday morning.
“The shocking arson attempt at the Governor’s residence early Sunday morning is a heinous act that not only endangered the lives of Governor Josh Shapiro and his family but also struck at the very heart of our shared values as a society,” the Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior, Bishop of Harrisburg, said in a statement.
“Such acts of violence and intolerance threaten the fabric of our society and undermine the principles of love, respect, and understanding that all people of faith are called to embody.”
Cody Balmer, 38, allegedly managed to scale an iron security fence and enter the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg, the state capitol, before setting fire to the dining room using improvised incendiary devices, police said at a 14 April press conference. Shapiro and his family were able to escape and were unharmed, but the residence was seriously damaged.
Shapiro, who is Jewish and had celebrated the Passover Seder with his wife, four children, and extended family at their home on the Saturday night before the attack, said he was “overwhelmed by the prayers and messages of support”.
He also vowed not to be deterred if his Jewish faith had had anything to do with the attack: “No one will deter me, or my family, or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly.”
During the 2024 US election campaign, Shapiro was considered at one point to be a strong contender to become the running mate of the Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Her choice of Tim Walz instead may well have been influenced by Shapiro’s religion and tensions in the Democratic Party over the war in Gaza, commentators have suggested.
“As Catholics, we must be committed to the eradication of any form of hatred, including antisemitism,” Bishop Senior said in his statement. “I am saddened that any form of political violence, let alone violence that is motivated by an attempt to suppress or intimidate a family because of their religion, is found in our community – especially at this time that is so sacred to our Jewish brothers and sisters and also to all of us as Christians as we celebrate Holy Week.
“Our prayers are with the Shapiro family and their guests, whose faithful observance of the sacred tradition of their faith was grievously violated by this act.
“We Christians must stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in all circumstances, but especially this year as the observance of the days of Passover coincides with the most sacred days of the Christian Liturgical calendar, Holy Week, the week leading us to our Easter celebration.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a press conference outside of the Governor’s Mansion after a portion of the property was damaged in an arson attack, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, 14 April 2024 (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)
“I call on all our Catholic faithful in the Diocese once again to be men and women of communion. Extend a hand of friendship and solidarity to those whose faith tradition, race or ethnicity is different from our own. Together, we can stand against hate and create an environment where love and acceptance thrive and the God-given dignity of every person is respected.”
The bishop concluded: “As we pray for the Shapiro family and all those affected by this incident, let us also pray for the courage to confront hate in all its forms. May our actions reflect the love that binds us together and may we be instruments of peace in a world that desperately needs it.”
Bishop David Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, in his own statement, also addressed the shared bonds between the Christian and Jewish people.
“Particularly during this Holy Week for Christians and Passover time for the Jewish people, we focus on the deep love that God has for all of us. We must be deeply grateful that Gov. Shapiro and his family are safe, and we must also pray for an end to violence, which goes against everything good about us as human beings,” Zubik said.
Prosecutors have charged Balmer with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and other crimes, it has been reported. Police have not announced whether they have uncovered a motive for the attack other than saying Balmer “admitted to harbouring hatred towards Gov. Shapiro”. The suspect’s mother has been reported by media as saying that her son wasn’t taking medication he was meant to be on at the time of the attack.
Photo: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro during a press conference outside of the Governor’s Mansion after a portion of the property was damaged in an arson fire in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, 14 April 2024 (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)