He who loves not the child on the streets whom he has seen cannot love the child in the womb whom he has not seen.

(1 Jn 4:20b paraphrased)

As of 7:00 p.m. EDT on March 24 we found no mention of America’s children marching for their very lives on the websites of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, the Orthodox Church in America, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, or the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, on the other hand, writes in its statement entitled Domestic Justice and Education Chairmen Urge Concrete Actions to Address Scourge of Gun Violence:

The advocacy by survivors of the Parkland shooting—and young people throughout our nation—is a stark reminder that guns pose an enormous danger to the innocent when they fall into the wrong hands. The voices of these advocates should ring in our ears as they describe the peaceful future to which they aspire. We must always remember what is at stake as we take actions to safeguard our communities and honor human life. In the words of St. John, ‘let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth’ (1 Jn. 3:18).

If you are an Orthodox bishop or clergyman, and you participated in today’s March for Our Lives somewhere, anywhere—especially if garbed in recognizably Orthodox ecclesiastical attire—we would love to hear from you.

If you are an Orthodox bishop or clergyman, and you would like to write a statement on gun violence in America, and especially in our schools, we would love to publish it.

Contact us at editors@orthodoxyindialogue.com.