US bishops call for tighter gun laws amid ‘epidemic of violence’

The Catholic Herald • November 5, 2025

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has published an updated two-page backgrounder titled A Mercy and Peacebuilding Approach to Gun Violence.

The document issues a renewed appeal for the Catholic community in the United States to respond to what it describes as an “epidemic of violence” across the nation. It begins with the declaration, “When the preservation of life is at issue, we must respond.”

It continues, “There are tens of thousands of gun-related deaths each year in the United States. A majority of these deaths are the result of suicide. This epidemic of violence is present in every community and affects the people of God in our dioceses and parishes.”

Drawing on its long-standing concern for the protection of human life, the USCCB affirms support for “common-sense measures of gun policy”, including a ban on assault weapons, universal background checks, federal gun-trafficking legislation, regulation of handgun sales, improved access to mental-health care, banning large-capacity magazines, safe-storage measures and extreme-risk protective orders. The bishops emphasise that whether the result is homicide, suicide or injury, the Church “mourns the loss of life and situations which led to it” and must stand in solidarity with victims and families while seeking practical policies and interventions to safeguard human life.

The document is a follow-up to the first 2018 version of A Mercy and Peacebuilding Approach to Gun Violence, last updated in 2020.

In reflecting on its history, the backgrounder recalls the USCCB’s 1994 pastoral message Confronting a Culture of Violence: A Catholic Framework for Action, where bishops quoted Pope Paul VI’s words, “If you want peace, work for justice”, and declared that violence in homes, schools, streets, the nation and the world is destroying the lives, dignity and hopes of millions of people. Over time, the bishops have repeatedly called for “sensible regulation of handguns” and highlighted a moral obligation to promote a culture of life in which violence is met by justice and restoration.

While the backgrounder addresses a uniquely American context of gun violence, its themes of life, dignity, responsibility and community carry relevance for Catholics elsewhere. The bishops’ document is the latest in a series of interventions by the USCCB on the issue of gun violence, following earlier statements in response to mass shootings in cities across America.

It also builds on decades of episcopal advocacy for tighter gun controls, stretching back to the 1970s. The conference has consistently backed the reintroduction of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, first enacted in 1994 but allowed to lapse ten years later.

The release of the updated backgrounder comes amid continuing debate in the United States over firearm regulation and rising levels of gun-related deaths. By restating their support for stricter controls and improved mental-health provision, the bishops seek to renew pressure on lawmakers to act.

(Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)