By Hannah Brockhaus
The Vatican has condemned the recent acts of violence following the shooting that injured former U.S. President Donald Trump and others, resulting in one fatality at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.
In a statement provided to CNA on July 14, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni expressed the Holy See’s “concern about last night’s episode of violence, which wounds people and democracy, causing suffering and death.”
The statement also mentioned that the Holy See “joins the U.S. bishops in prayer for America, for the victims, and for peace in the country, hoping that the motives behind the violence never prevail.”
Pope Francis did not address the incident during his weekly Angelus prayer at noon on Sunday.
Political leaders worldwide have condemned the political violence and expressed support for democracy following the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening.
In a statement posted on Truth Social on July 13, Trump mentioned that a bullet had pierced the upper part of his right ear. After receiving treatment at a nearby hospital, the former president flew to New Jersey under Secret Service protection late Saturday night.
The FBI has identified the shooter at the Trump rally as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Crooks, who carried no ID and was identified through DNA analysis, was killed by a Secret Service sniper at the rally, according to officials.
