"A Welcoming Community of Faith Rooted in
the Catholic Tradition"
Encompassing the Northwestern Province of the
United States
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota,
Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan and Alaska.
Press Release
Office of Media and Communication
The
Evangelical Catholic
Diocese of the NorthwestChicago Illinois 60617-8388
Office: 773-721-5383 Fax: 773-721-2581December 12th, 2012
Chicago, Illinois - For Immediate Release
Diocese urges Governor Quinn to fight
court ordered
Concealed Handgun ruling
Please find attached the letter of Bishop James Alan Wilkowski, Evangelical Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of the Northwest to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn urging him to fight the order of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to force Illinois to enact legislation permitting Illinoisans to carry concealed handguns.
William R. Morton
Director of Media and Communication
773-721-5383
billmorton@evangelicalcatholicchurch.org
●
www.evangelicalcatholicchurch.org/northwest.htm
The Evangelical Catholic Diocese of the Northwest
Post Office Box 178388 Chicago Illinois 60617-8388
Office: 773-721-5383 Fax: 773-721-2581
Office of the Bishop
December 12, 2012
The Honorable Pat Quinn
Governor for the State of Illinois
Office of the Governor
209 State House
Springfield Illinois 62705
Viafax 217-524-4049
RE: The Court Ordered Mandate permitting Concealed Handguns in Illinois
Dear Governor Quinn:
I am writing to you as a citizen of our great state and as the Evangelical Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of the Northwest out of grave concern regarding the order of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals mandating the State of Illinois to enact legislation permitting Illinoisans to carry concealed handguns.
This dreadfully wrong order must be appealed to the United States Supreme Court.
We are at a time in our history when it is apparent to all that the plague of handgun violence must be addressed and steps must be taken to reduce the number of handguns and assault weapons that currently infest our cities and towns and which contributes to the number of premature deaths of our statewide family members. Permitting Illinoisans to carry concealed handguns will guarantee a deadly surge in the “Rambo mentality,” thus insuring a drain on our law enforcement agencies, hospital emergency rooms and offices of our medical examiners.
Permitting Illinoisans to carry concealed weapons will contribute to a loss of jobs in our states because small business owners will close their shops because of the higher cost of insurance and force their employees on the unemployment rolls. Our state economy cannot afford this.
As a catholic bishop, I unconditionally beg you to also consider the moral and ethical obligations our elected officials have to protect the welfare and safety of our state wide community. I have had to hold the hands of too many parents and spouses who have lost their loved ones to handgun violence and I have no desire to have those numbers increase because of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The morticians and undertakers of our state will always have their clients and I believe that the only positive outcome of this mandate would be an increase in their business. Every person born into this world has the right to a life of possibilities and not destined to be a statistic in the book of victims.
Many years ago, I stood with you in front of the Prudential Building in Chicago in the dead of winter fighting for those who were about to have their electricity shut off. I said to you that “I hope that we here might make a difference.” Your response to my statement was “We are obligated to protect the health and welfare for the people.”
For the sake of all Illinoisans I beg you to embrace those words and to fight this mandate in the United States Supreme Court. I pledge to you all my help and support in such a fight.
Thank you for listening to my plea and I wish you and Mrs. Quinn a Blessed Christmas.
As always, I remain
Respectfully Yours in Christ,
James Alan Wilkowski
Evangelical Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of the Northwest
“A Welcoming Community of Faith Rooted in the Catholic Tradition”
www.evangelicalcatholicchurch.org/northwest.htm
Diocesan Church Office
Post Office Box 178388 Chicago Illinois 60617-8388
(T) 773-721-5383 (F) 773-721-2581
diocesenw@evangelicalcatholicchurch.org
©2012