The answer
The Church's stance on the issue of gun control is from a spiritual perspective, not from a political stance. The Church is supportive of self-defense, but advocates peace and brotherly love, not revenge or achieving justice by the use of aggression (Matthew 5:38-40). In addition, the Church emphasizes the commandment, "You shall not murder." Thus, owning a gun is not disapproved by the Church, but should strictly be for the purpose of self-defense in cases of looming physical harm to oneself or to others in extreme dire circumstances.Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)