Where are the Shepherds? Silence after the Murder of Charlie Kirk

One of the saddest realities since the assassination of Charlie Kirk has been the silence for the most part from our shepherds about the brutal murder of this godly man. Kirk continuously witnessed to Jesus Christ and often openly prayed for his adversaries. Of the 17 cardinals and 400+ bishops in the country only a handful have released statements on the assassination. I have also read several nasty comments from priests who, taking Kirk's statements out of context, condemn him in the same vein as the radical Democrats. He's a racist, homophobe, misogynist, yadda, yadda.... Was Charlie Kirk perfect? Of course not, but his life was clearly motivated by his love for Jesus Christ, for family, and for country.

With regard to the pope, he expressed his condolences to the American Ambassador privately, but limited his public discussion of martyrs to a homily on September 14th at an ecumenical prayer service. Only four days after Kirk's brutal slaying, the pope ignored this newly martyred Christian. Why? If he had mentioned no one by name, it would be more understandable, but he did mention several people specifically. This paragraph totally described Charlie Kirk:

Many brothers and sisters, even today, carry the same cross as our Lord on account of their witness to the faith in difficult situations and hostile contexts:like him, they are persecuted, condemned and killed. It is of them that Jesus says: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Mt 5:10-11). They are women and men, religious, lay people and priests, who pay with their lives for their fidelity to the Gospel.

Charlie Kirk went over and over into the lion's den to witness to the truth and to faith in Jesus Christ. Could the pope not spare one word to acknowledge his sacrifice?Thankfully, my own bishop, Michael Burbidge, released a statement the same day as Kirk's assassination:

As Americans, we are witnesses in just the past few weeks to a vicious pattern of political and social disorder.  In Charlotte, the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. And now the political assassination of Charlie Kirk, known for his commitment to civil and rational discourse. We entrust each of these victims to God, our Heavenly Father and author of every human life, and his son Jesus Christ, the reason for our supernatural hope. of political and social disorder. At Annunciation Catholic Parish in Minneapolis, the killings of Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel, two innocent children. 

What we see unfolding in our nation is a vicious pattern of hatreds rooted in the rejection of God, of the dignity of the human person, and the sanctity of the family. We can eradicate these ills only through a firm reliance on God, through a deeper devotion to Christ and the Gospel, through a sincere love for persons reflected in law, and through a renewed commitment to justice and public order. 

We are living through a perilous moment. Our challenge is not only one of partisan disagreement, law, and policy, but in a deeper way our challenge is to uphold the central goods of American political life: of faith, of families, and of a national commitment to live together in harmony as brothers and sisters. 

September 10, 2025

 Thank you, Bishop Burbidge, for acknowledging these victims of hatred and for recognizing the "vicious patter of hatreds rooted in rejection of God." May many people in the aftermath of the assassination, pick up their bibles like the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy who told her mother she packed it to take to college because she wanted to be more like Charlie Kirk. Lord Jesus, have mercy on us and send the grace of conversion upon Your enemies that they might one day rejoice in heaven with You.