Following passage of a law allowing for the more widespread carrying of firearms in the Philippines, two bishops said that priests should not carry guns, even in dangerous areas.

“We priests are not afraid of dangers,” said Archbishop Ramon Argüelles of Lipa. “If the general public, especially the poor, are exposed to dangers, we cannot be less.”

“Priests are supposed to be men of peace, not of war,” added Bishop José Oliveros of Malolos. “Our Lord said, he who lives by the sword will die by the sword. We should not counter violence with violence.”


http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=18052

Ridiculous. I know lots of priests who hunt and enjoy there guns. Carrying one is prudent. Not carrying one, in a dangerous area is imprudent.

Spain  1936, Priests needed to defend themselves from the ʝʊdɛօ-masons. A death toll of 13 bishops, 4,172 diocesan priests, 2,364 monks and friars and 283 nuns, for a total of 6,832 clerical victims, as part of what is referred to as Spain's Red Terror.





Just as the Cristero movement, this too was justified.



APOSTOLIC BENEDICTION
«CON INMENSO GOZO»
OF HIS HOLINESS
PIUS XII
TO THE SPANISH FAITHFUL

(April 14, 1939)

With great joy We address you, most dear children of Catholic Spain, to express to you our fatherly congratulations for the gift of peace and of victory, with which God has deemed worthy to crown the Christian heroism of your faith and charity, tried in so many and so generous sufferings. Our Predecessor, of venerable memory, expected, with longing and trust, this Providential peace, which is undoubtedly the fruit of that copious blessing which he sent, in the very beginning of the struggle, “to all those who had devoted themselves to the difficult and dangerous task of defending and restoring the rights and the honor of God and Religion”; and We do not doubt that this peace shall be the one that he himself foretold since then, “the sign of a future of tranquility in order, and of honor in prosperity”.

The designs of Providence, most beloved children, have once again dawned over heroic Spain. The Nation chosen by God as the main instrument of the evangelization of the New World and as an impregnable fortress of the Catholic faith has just shown to the apostles of materialistic Atheism of our century the greatest evidence that the eternal values of religion and of the spirit stand above all things.

The tenacious propaganda and the constant efforts of the enemies of Jesus Christ seemed to have desired to try in Spain a supreme experiment of the dissolving forces which they have at their disposal throughout the world; and even though it is true that the Almighty has for now not allowed them to achieve their goal, He has at least tolerated some of their terrible effects, so that the world could see how religious persecution, undermining the very bases of justice and charity, which are love for God and respect for His holy law, may drag modern society to unthinkable abysses of evil destruction and passionate discord.

Convinced of this truth, the sane Spanish people, with the two marks characteristic of their most noble spirit, which are generosity and frankness, rose up determinedly in defense of the ideals of Christian faith and civilization, deeply rooted in the Spanish soil, and, aided by God, “who does not abandon those who hope in Him” (Judith 13, 17), could resist the push from those who, deceived by what they believed to be a humanitarian ideal of the exaltation of the meek, truly fought only for Atheism.

This primordial meaning of your victory makes us dwell in the most promising hopes, that God in His mercy will deign lead Spain through the safe path of its traditional and Catholic grandeur; which will be the point that will guide all Spaniards, who love their Religion and their Fatherland, in the effort to organize the life of the Nation in perfect harmony with its most noble history of Catholic faith, piety, and civilization.

We thus exhort the Authorities and Shepherds of Catholic Spain to enlighten the mind of those who were deceived, showing them, lovingly, the roots of Materialism and Secularism from which their errors and wrongful acts came forth, and from which they could spring forth again. Propose to them the principles of individual and social justice, without which the peace and prosperity of nations, as mighty as they may be, cannot subsist, and which are those contained in the Holy Gospel and in the doctrine of the Church.

We do not doubt that it will happen thus, and the bases for Our firm hope are the most noble and Christian sentiments, of which the Chief of State and so many gentlemen, his faithful collaborators, have given unequivocal evidence with the legal protection which they have granted to the supreme religious and social interests, according to the teachings of the Apostolic See. The same hope is also founded upon the enlightened zeal and abnegation of your Bishops and Priests, tempered by pain, and also in the faith, piety, and spirit of sacrifice of which, in terrible hours, all classes of Spanish society gave heroic proof.

And now, before the remembrance of the mounting ruins of the bloodiest cινιℓ ωαr recorded in the history of modern times, We, with pious regard, bow our head, above all, to the holy memory of the Bishops, Priests, Religious of both sexes, and faithful of all ages and conditions who, in such an elevated number, sealed with blood their faith in Jesus Christ, and their love for the Catholic Religion: «maiorem hac dilectionem nemo habet», “Greater love than this no man hath” (Jn 15, 13).

We also acknowledge our debt of gratitude towards all those who sacrificed themselves even unto heroism in defense of the unalienable rights of God and of Religion, either in the battlefields, or devoted to the sublime works of Christian charity in prisons and hospitals.

We cannot hide the bitter sorrow that the remembrance of so many innocent children, who, having been ripped from their homes, were taken to faraway lands, often in danger of apostasy and perversion: we desire nothing more ardently than to see them returned to the bosom of their families, where they will once again find the warm and Christian tenderness of their own. And those others who, as prodigal sons, wish to return to the house of the father, we doubt not that they will be welcomed with goodwill and love.

It falls upon You, Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate, to advise all, so that in their policy of pacification all will follow the principles taught by the Church, and proclaimed with such nobility by the Generalísimo: of justice for crime, and of lenient generosity for the mistaken. Our solicitude, also as a Father, cannot forget these deceived ones, whom a deceitful and perverse propaganda succeeded in enticing with praises and promises. Your Pastoral solicitude should be targeted at them, with patience and meekness: pray for them, seek them, lead them again to the regenerative bosom of the Church and to the warmth of the Fatherland, and lead them to the Merciful Father, Who awaits them with open arms.

Therefore, most dear children, since the rainbow of peace has returned to brighten the heavens of Spain, let us come together heartily in a fervent hymn of thanksgiving to the God of Peace and in a prayer of forgiveness and mercy for all those who perished; and, in order that this peace be fruitful and longlasting, We exhort you with all the fervor of Our heart, to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4, 2-3). Thus united and obedient to your venerable Episcopate, devote yourselves joyfully and with no delay, to the urgent work of reconstruction, which God and the Fatherland expect from you.

As a pledge of the copious graces, which the Immaculate Virgin and Saint James the Apostle, Patrons of Spain, shall obtain for you, and which the great Spanish Saints have merited for you, We bestow upon you, Our dear children of Catholic Spain, upon the Chief of State and his illustrious Government, upon the zealous Episcopate and their selfless Clergy, upon the heroic combatants, and upon all the faithful Our Apostolic Blessing.

PIUS XII

If I remember correctly, Padre Pio used to say that the Rosary is his machine gun (or maybe he said it more generally: the Rosary is the machine gun of the priest). Some Vetero-SSPX priests still today use to say this.

Nevertheless, I suspect they [priests] have a natural right law to self-defense.

I spoke with one of the mentioned Vetero-SSPX priests about your question and he said it's true, they have this natural right. It would be another question if they would use it, he added. Depending on the circuмstances.

IMHO, a Christian should not keep or use firearms for PERSONAL self-defense; on the other hand, those who serve lawfully in the armed forces of their country and those who are fighting for a clearly Catholic cause would be an exception. I think, of course, of the Cristeros, but also of one Fr. Murphy, of blessed memory, of Kilcormack in Ireland. He was tortured and immolated by the British during Catholic Ireland's uprising against the invaders.

These days, the question of gun ownership and use is so troubling; it is very difficult for me to see how a private citizen could justify the possession and use of a gun when so many of the prevailing attitudes surrounding the issue are anti-Christian.

I would elaborate but time is at a premium for me today. Pax et bonum.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, triumph soon!

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

I have a brief moment here...

There are those who believe that the right to keep and bear arms is an inalienable right (which is completely divorced in this modern day from the necessity for a well-armed volunteer militia).

The unChristian idea that certain people espouse can basically be boiled down to a radical self-determinism. "I judge people as my own authority, I decide whether they belong in my world or not, and I arm myself in order that any perceived threat to my own personal safety or to my worldview may be met with violent opposition."

In other words, instead of not resisting violence in imitation of Christ, many in society take it upon themselves to become the arbiters of when said violence is appropriate.

Instead of honoring our government as God's sword against societal evils, private citizens want to usurp said government's place and incite disobedience by, again, becoming the judges of those whom God has established in power.

Frankly, I generally hear almost nothing from the right-wing gun aficionados except xenophobia, homophobia and Protestant individualism, all of which are contrary to Faith and to Christ's example.

IMHO, a Christian should not keep or use firearms for PERSONAL self-defense; on the other hand, those who serve lawfully in the armed forces of their country and those who are fighting for a clearly Catholic cause would be an exception. I think, of course, of the Cristeros, but also of one Fr. Murphy, of blessed memory, of Kilcormack in Ireland. He was tortured and immolated by the British during Catholic Ireland's uprising against the invaders.

These days, the question of gun ownership and use is so troubling; it is very difficult for me to see how a private citizen could justify the possession and use of a gun when so many of the prevailing attitudes surrounding the issue are anti-Christian.

I would elaborate but time is at a premium for me today. Pax et bonum.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, triumph soon!

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

It's almost impossible to live a rural lifestyle and not possess firearms.  They are absolutely necessary if you hunt, need to protect livestock and property from vermin, or humanely dispatch animals that need to be euthanized.

Without a gun, I'd be powerless to protect my flock from coyotes attacking.  I do my best to prevent such situations with good fencing and guardian animals, but I have the obligation to keep them safe and if that means utilizing deadly force, that's what I must do.  And if, God forbid, something happens to one of them and they need to be put down, I have something I can use.  Large animal vets are very scarce and to prevent suffering, it's a must.  

Also, as a woman, I am acutely aware that I will not be able to physically overcome an attacker, if he is male and at least average build.  Do I not have a moral obligation- or at least right- to protect myself, especially if I live alone?  I'm not talking about shooting the tires out of the teenage mailbox smashers- I'm talking about real physical threats.  

I realize the point you are trying to make, but it's not always so clear-cut.  We aren't Amish or Mennonite- both groups, by the way, own firearms and children often receive BB guns when they are of age.