By OSV News
Catholic bishops and public officials are calling for prayer following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who died after being shot Sept. 10 during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Kirk was 31 and a married father with two young children. He was shot in the neck, reportedly by a sniper from a campus building. The suspect is still at large, and a manhunt is underway, according to law enforcement officials.
A staunch ally of President Donald Trump, Kirk was the founder of the Republican-aligned Turning Point USA. He was being hosted by that organization’s chapter at the university for his “American Comeback Tour.”
According to multiple reports, Kirk was in the midst of discussing mass shootings in the U.S. with an individual attendee when a single shot rang out, striking Kirk and scattering the crowd.
Bishop Oscar A. Solis of Salt Lake City said in a statement, “My heart goes out to the family of Charlie Kirk. I will pray for the repose of his soul. I am also praying for all who were affected, especially those who were present at the event on campus, the many people who admired Mr. Kirk, and most particularly his family. Meanwhile, I continue to pray for all the victims of gun violence throughout the years and their families.”
“It is appalling that senseless acts of violence such as this continue to occur,” he said. “It seems that our society has lost the sense of the sanctity of life, and I pray that our government will undertake appropriate measures to stop these horrible crimes.”
Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, was also among those who called for prayer. On his social media accounts, he explained how he first met Kirk at a speaking engagement about four years ago.
“He reached out and invited me to breakfast. I was deeply impressed by him that day. He was a man of great intelligence, considerable charm, and real goodness of heart,” Bishop Barron wrote.
“I reconnected with him just last year, after I saw him debate twenty-five young people who were, to put it mildly, hostile to his views. I texted him that I was so struck by how he kept his cool. I then asked him to appear as a guest on my interview program, ‘Bishop Barron Presents,’ and he eagerly accepted my invitation.”
Kirk was schedule to visit Bishop Barron in about a week. “The last contact we had was two nights ago,” Bishop Barron said. “After I appeared on one of the evening news shows to talk about the Religious Liberty Commission, he texted me and told me how much he appreciated what I said and then added, ‘I’m excited to join you on your show soon. God bless you.’
“That last sentence shows what was most important to Charlie. He was indeed a great debater and also one of the best advocates in our country for civil discourse, but he was, first and last, a passionate Christian,” Bishop Barron wrote.
In a statement confirming Kirk’s death, his organization Turning Point USA said, “May he be received into the merciful arms of our loving Savior, who suffered and died for Charlie. We ask that everyone keep his family and loved ones in your prayers. We ask that you please respect their privacy and dignity at this time.”
Vice President JD Vance and Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., both Catholics, were among the first political officials who offered their reactions on social media, calling for prayer and condemning political violence, respectively.
“Dear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour,” Vance wrote prior to confirmation of Kirk’s death by the president.
Newsom called the shooting “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” Newsom wrote.
In a statement, President Donald Trump said, “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. Melania and my sympathies go out to his beautiful wife, Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
Former President Joe Biden, also Catholic, wrote on X, “There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now.”
Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who survived after she was shot and gravely injured in 2011, wrote on X, “Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence.”
At a press conference, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Kirk was known for debates on college campuses, and that debate is “foundational to the formation of our country, to our most basic constitutional rights.”
“And when someone takes the life of a person because of their ideas or their ideals, then that very constitutional foundation is threatened,” Cox said.
President Trump has directed U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff.
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