Cardinal O'Malley On Gun Ownership: 'Any Right Has Its Limits'

Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley lent his voice over the weekend to the chorus of anti-gun violence protesters at the March for Our Lives.

In remarks delivered Saturday at the start of a Mass for Peace, Justice and Healing at St. Anthony Shrine in Boston, O'Malley said the sustained reaction of students at a Florida High School to the mass killing of 17 of their classmates was the "catalyst for bringing thousands of people together today."

Students around the country led marches and demonstrations on Saturday, calling for greater limits on the availability of guns.

School shootings have had a "galvanizing impact," the cardinal said, but daily killings of young people across the country, including in Boston, must be addressed, even if it means regulating rights guaranteed under the U.S. constitution.

"The 'March for our Lives' is focused on a critical public policy problem: the way our states and our country regulate, or fail to do so adequately, access to guns, the widespread availability of guns and the kinds of firearms which are far too easy to acquire," O'Malley said, according to prepared remarks. "The Second Amendment to the Constitution affirms the right of citizens to own firearms. But any right has its limits; hence all rights require regulation. We recognize that truth with regard to the rights of free speech, free association and the practice of religious beliefs."

He added, "We need strong leadership from public officials and our courts that respects our rights but also protects our communities. These efforts need to be supported by our faith communities, our business and educational leadership and our citizens."