I like what a priest from Brooklyn said about this last week: “I’m not in favor of bringing guns to church.  I’d be afraid that if somebody thought my homily was too long, they’d take out a gun and shoot me.” 

Anyway: Louisiana’s Catholic governor just signed a law allowing them to be carried in to church — but the bishops are saying no.

From USA TODAY via the AP:

Concealed handguns won’t be allowed in Roman Catholic churches, despite a new state law allowing them.

“We don’t think it is appropriate to have guns in churches,” Danny Loar, executive director of the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops — the church’s public policy arm in Louisiana, said Monday.

The law allows concealed handguns in churches, synagogues or mosques for those with a valid permit and training. It also says those with authority over a church have the final say in their church.

Bishops discussed the issue when reviewing bills, Loar said.

“The bishops decided that, if the bill became law, the bishops would let their pastors know that this would not be permissible in Catholic churches,” Loar said.

The previous law let only law enforcement officials carry concealed weapons into churches.

Loar said he notified Louisiana’s bishops by e-mail shortly after Gov. Bobby Jindal signed state Rep. Henry Burns’ bill into law on July 6.

The bill triggered controversy and heavy criticism in newspaper editorials but cleared the House 65-26 and the Senate 22-9.

Burns, R-Haughton, said this year’s law gives church leaders a new option if security concerns warrant it.

“I don’t have a problem with them opting out of it,” Burns said of Catholic bishops.

“It is a freedom of choice thing,” he added.

There’s more at the USA TODAY link.