CHAPLAINS rushed to comfort the injured and grieving at the
Washington Navy Yard, where 12 people were killed by a gunman this
week.
A former US Navy serviceman, Aaron Alexis, died after a
gun-battle with police at the Navy Yard on Monday morning. Reports
suggest that he had mental-health problems, and was known to police
for two previous gun-related incidents.
Naval chaplains on the base, and others from bases near by, were
brought in to assist those affected by the incident. Washington
Cathedral offered prayers throughout the day for the victims, their
families, and those treating them.
The Dean, the Very Revd Gary Hall, said: "All of us at
Washington National Cathedral heard the news of this morning's
shootings at the Washington Navy Yard with a mixture of shock and
sadness. We mourn for those who have died, and we continue to
grieve the persistence of gun violence in our nation."
The US Senate adjourned for the day in response to the
shootings.
The Roman Catholic Archbishop for the Military Services, the
Most Revd Timothy Broglio, said that the US had to "restore the
notion of respect for life". He said that he had frequently visited
the Navy Yard.
"Somehow we must restore the notion of respect for life into the
fabric of the nation," he said. "When the uniqueness of the human
person created in the image and likeness of God is universally
recognised, the possibility of a mass shooting is more remote."
Saddleback pastor interviewed. The pastor of
Saddleback Church, in California, the Revd Rick Warren, has spoken
out after stepping out of the spotlight in response to his youngest
son's suicide (News, 12 April).
In his first interview since his son's death, with Piers Morgan
on CNN, Mr Warren said: "When I heard about those deaths, at the
Navy Yard, the first thing I did was get down on my knees and pray
for those families."