Does the Church allow guns for self-defense?

[The_Thinker]

I have a question about guns. What is the Catholic opinion about the use of them for personal security?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

The Church certainly allows for self-defense:

Love toward oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore it is legitimate to insist on respect for one’s own right to life. Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow: If a man in self-defense uses more than necessary violence, it will be unlawful: whereas if he repels force with moderation, his defense will be lawful. … Nor is it necessary for salvation that a man omit the act of moderate self-defense to avoid killing the other man, since one is bound to take more care of one’s own life than of another’s
(CCC 2264).

It also allows for the legitimate defense of others:

Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility (CCC 2265).

Now, whether an individual’s personal security is best defended by owning a gun is an entirely different matter. Officially, the Church is silent on the matter, but bishops in local communities have questioned the wisdom and prudence of families owning firearms for personal security. A committee of the United States’ bishops conference (USCCB), for example, said as early as 1975:

Some have suggested that homeowners and citizens should arm themselves to protect their families from murder, assault or robbery. The sad fact is that a handgun purchased for protection is often used in a moment of rage or fear against a relative or acquaintance. A recent study in the Cleveland area indicates guns purchased for protection resulted in the deaths of six times as many family members, friends and neighbors as intruders or assailants (source).

On the other hand, a group of Catholic handgun activists have promoted the story of St. Gabriel Possenti, a young Italian seminarian better known as St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. Whatever the merits of handgun advocacy, it seems a shame that a saint Pope Benedict XV declared a patron for youth has had a minor incident of personal valor politicized to such an extent that his personal sanctity has largely been overlooked.