The Department of Homeland Security posted on X to “pray without ceasing” on Thursday, one day after a mass shooting at Minneapolis Annunciation Church.
Two children were reported dead after a shooter opened fire at the church while children were attending the opening school mass.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, slammed calls for prayer during a press conference on Wednesday.
“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now,” Frey said. “These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) mirrored Frey’s remarks on Wednesday during an interview on CNN’s Inside Politics with Dana Bash.
“But right now in our state, we‘re just mourning for these families. We’re mourning for those kids that were in there that may have survived but will never be the same,” Klobuchar said. “To just let it go there, and say ‘thoughts and prayers’ is no longer enough.”
Jen Psaki, former White House press secretary under the Biden administration and current MSNBC anchor, posted on X, “Prayer is not freaking enough.”
PARTISANS CLASH OVER ‘THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS’ AFTER MINNEAPOLIS ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC CHURCH SHOOTING
“Prayers does not end school shootings. prayers do not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers,” Psaki added.
The DHS’s call for prayer comes on Thursday’s pray the rosary, a traditional practice where Catholics pray on the significant events in Jesus Christ’s life recorded in the Bible. The phrase “pray without ceasing” is also repeated throughout the scripture.