My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Words are hard to come by in the aftermath of the despicable shooting that took place on June 12 in Orlando, Fla., killing 49 people and wounding 53 others. At least, words are hard for me to come by. Some have been quick to use the massacre as a platform for their political agendas or their social ideologies. I am not a politician, so I will leave it to political authorities to devise policies that will bring these increasingly all-too-frequent horrific attacks to an end. I am a spiritual leader, so my words will focus on the spiritual realm.

My first word, then, is one of prayer for the repose of the souls of those who died a violent, dreadful and unexpected death. Most of the victims were young people who probably assumed that most of their lives lay ahead of them. I pray that in the chaotic moments before their deaths, they somehow managed to ask Almighty God to forgive their sins and extend to them his loving hand of mercy.

My next word is one of sympathy for the families and friends of those who were killed. Many of them are not only grieving the deaths of their loved ones, but are dealing with the added shock of learning that their children and relatives were frequenting gay bars and living a homosexual lifestyle, a fact that many of the victims had reportedly kept hidden from their families and friends. May they place their trust in the hands of a just and merciful God.

My Christian faith requires that my word for the killer be that of forgiveness. That may seem easy for me to say as someone who was not personally touched by this monstrous act, so I will simply cite the words of the relatives of the nine victims who were coldly and methodically shot and killed during a murderous rampage last year at a church in Charleston, S.C. Dylann Roof has been charged with these murders. His trial in state court is scheduled to start in January 2017. Five relatives of the victims spoke at Roof’s bond hearing. The sister of a woman who was killed in the attack, said, “We have no room for hate, so we have to forgive.” The daughter of another woman who was murdered, said, “I just want everyone to know . . . I forgive you.” The relative of another victim said, “Hate won’t win.” The son of still another victim said that he and his family forgave Roof, urging him to repent and accept Jesus as savior. These are the seventy times seven words of forgiveness that Christ commands us to speak to those who sin against us (cf. Matthew 18:22).

My words for perpetrators of terrorist attacks and other acts of savage violence is a prayer for conversion, that their hearts may be turned from evil and accept the truth of a peaceful and loving God calling us to live as peaceful and loving people. We cannot expect to overcome evil relying only on our human resources. Psalm 62 reminds us to put our trust in God: “My soul, be at rest in God alone, from whom comes my hope. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not fall. My deliverance and honor are with God, my strong rock; my refuge is with God. Trust God at all times, my people!” (Psalm 62:6-9).

My words to those who might feel they are far from such attacks and are tempted to rest serenely with some sense of safety are to remind them of Christ’s warning that we “know neither the day nor the hour” when death will come for us (cf. Matthew 25:13). The prophets of the Old Testament repeatedly called people to turn back to God. Jesus began his public ministry by proclaiming, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

The Apostle Paul instructs us in these words concerning the sanctification which God’s loving kindness confers on us: “Neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such indeed you were. But you have been washed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). St. Cyprian comments on this passage, saying, “We were sanctified, he says, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. Hence we make our prayer that this sanctification may remain in us.”

May God give us this grace. Amen.