Archbishop Broglio Condemns Political Violence After Attempt on Trump’s Life

U.S. bishops’ president spoke to Vatican News calling for prayer and urging Catholics to ‘promote the dignity of the human person.’

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, speaks at the USCCB fall plenary assembly Nov. 14, 2023.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, speaks at the USCCB fall plenary assembly Nov. 14, 2023. (photo: Credit: USCCB video / USCCB video)

Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), spoke to Vatican News-Vatican Radio on Monday about Saturday’s assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump.

At a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, Trump was injured and struck by a bullet in his upper right ear. The FBI-identified shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was slain by the Secret Service following the attack, but not before taking the life of a rally attendee, Christian father and husband Corey Comperatore, and injuring two other attendees. In the conversation with Deborah Castellano Lubov, Archbishop Brogolio described his initial reaction as “one of horror that violence would take place in what is supposed to be a democratic society.”

To the victim’s family, Archbishop Broglio offered his condolences and “my promise of a prayer for the repose of his soul.” He extended Trump “a message of consolation, and the assurance of my prayers, and assure the prayers of all of the faithful of the United States.”

His tone was one of care and concern for the current heated political climate, expressing that “one thing that all of us can do is to remember and to promote the dignity of the human person and to keep constantly in our minds the fact that even if someone disagrees with me, he or she is still created in the image and likeness of God.”

“It’s tragic that political discourse in this country has reached a point where people just shout at each other, and there’s no space to listen to the other,” he added. He repeatedly emphasized the need for respect within politics.

Regarding the role of the USCCB and bishops across America, Archbishop Broglio said, “I think all of us in our diocese can certainly promote the importance of dialogue, the importance of respect for the other.” He identified this week’s National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis as “a great opportunity for us to promote dialogue and reconciliation.”

The archbishop focused on promoting “dignity and dialogue” and also reminded readers that salvation is ultimately in Christ. He said, “Obviously, in the Person of Christ, we find a code of conduct; and I think the more we do to promote that, the better off our society will be.”

His radio comments followed his official statement on the day of the shooting, in which he condemned political violence and called for prayers for peace. In it, he said, “We pray for our country and for an end to political violence, which is never a solution to political disagreements.”

The USCCB press release placed the attempted assassination within the context of the bishops’ previous statement on political violence. It presented the June 2024 document as “urging all Christians and people of good will to abstain from political violence, and instead, ‘pursue what leads to peace and building up one another’ through dialogue, seeking justice.”