ATLANTA—Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory has made the following statement regarding the Nov. 5 shooting during services at the First Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

“Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Atlanta are close in prayer with our brothers and sisters from the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, as they grieve the loss and the injury of their loved ones. We stand with them in sorrow, but also in faith that God will reward those whose lives have been taken and heal those who have been harmed. We ask God’s blessing on all who are reaching out to comfort and assist in the wake of yet another senseless act of violence.

“Our nation struggles to comprehend, to understand, to face another moment that demands that we address the root causes of such horrendous brutality. Among the causes that must be confronted are easy and unrestricted access to military-style firearms, the lack of similarly unrestricted access to effective mental health care for too many emotionally fragile citizens, and the proliferation of hatred and vitriolic material on social and mass media that often radicalizes people who then act in ways that harm and terrorize us all.”