Denver bishops offer consolation in wake of shooting in Aurora

DENVER (CNS) -- Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver and his auxiliary, Bishop James D. Conley, offered prayers and support to the victims, survivors and the community after a gunman killed at least a dozen people and wounded dozens more during a July 20 midnight screening of the movie "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora.
 
"For those who were killed, our hope is the tender mercy of our God," the bishops said in a joint statement. "'Neither death nor life,' reflected St. Paul, 'can separate us from the love of God.'"
 
"For those who were wounded—physically, emotionally and spiritually—our hope is in their recovery and renewal. To them we offer our prayers, our ears to listen, and our hearts to love. The road to recovery may be long, but in hope we are granted the gift of new life."
 
Archbishop Aquila and Bishop Conley also prayed for the shooter. "We hope also for the perpetrator of this terrible crime, and we pray for his conversion. Evil ruled his heart last night," they said July 20. "Only Jesus Christ can overcome the darkness of such evil."
 
Pope Benedict XVI used the occasion of his weekly Angelus address at Castel Gandolfo July 22 to express his sadness over the latest tragedy saying he was "deeply shocked by the senseless violence."
 
"I share the distress of the families and friends of the victims and the injured, especially the children," he said to pilgrims gathered at the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.
 
James Holmes, 24, who had been a doctoral student at the University of Colorado before he dropped out, was arrested in connection with the mass shootings. Police said Holmes was still wearing a bulletproof vest in the movie theater's parking lot when he was apprehended. Law enforcement authorities put the number of wounded at 58.
 
Archbishop Aquila, who celebrated an evening Mass for those affected by the shooting, and Bishop Conley said Regina Caeli Counseling Services of Catholic Charities in the archdiocese would offer counseling over the next few weeks to those who need it.
 
"We look for opportunities to pray with our community," the bishops said. "And we continue to work to support families and communities in forming people of peace."
 
"This empty evil adds to a series of violent acts that weigh heavily on the national consciousness, acts that must surely occasion focused discussion on the interplay of violence and the availability of guns," said the Rev. Francis H. Wade, interim dean of the Episcopal Church's Washington National Cathedral.
 
"This moment also calls for prayer," he said. "Our prayers at the National Cathedral today will mourn the fallen -- and we will continue to remember those injured, along with their communities, as we renew our calls for healing and peace."
 
Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Aurora celebrated a Mass on Jul 22 for the victims.