http://chattahbox.com/us/2010/02/27...n-activists-seek-patron-saint-of-handgunners/
(ChattahBox)—Catholic handgun owners and Second Amendment activists want their own personal patron saint of handgun slinging. And with the celebration this weekend of the Feast of St. Gabriel Possenti, they are renewing their call to the Vatican to officially declare St. Possenti as the Patron of Handgunners. Apparently in 1860, while a young monk, Possenti held off a band of marauders with two handguns. And John M. Snyder, a gun lobbyist and founder of the St. Gabriel Possenti Society, has been on a mission for over 20-years to draw attention to Possenti’s gunslinging to further his claims that Jesus would have approved of carrying handguns for self defense.
In a press release put out by Christian Newswire, Snyder renewed his call to declare St. Possenti the Patron of hangunners:
“The special day is most significant this year since it now is 150 years since 1860,” added Snyder. “That was the year St. Gabriel Possenti used handguns to rescue residents of Isola del Gran Sasso, Italy from a gang of marauders. By his action, our patron demonstrated that handguns may be used by good people to protect the innocent from violent criminal perpetrators. This is an important lesson to ponder today as people in the United States and throughout the world face perennial threats of murderous violence from terrorists.”
Snyder has previously denounced Catholic pacifism, as against the teachings of the Bible. “A lot of the Catholic bishops in the United States are out of line on this issue,” Snyder said. “They are pacifists up the wazoo. They don’t really understand their own faith. They don’t understand the religion of which they are officials.”
According to Snyder, Jesus suggested during the Last Supper that it’s OK for people of faith to carry handguns when he said: “The one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one.”
Snyder has also written a book entitled “Gun Saint” that details Possenti’s brave handgun usage while wearing his monk robes.
Snyder claims that handgun owners are getting a bum deal. Gun enthusiasts have already claimed Saints for other aspects of the gun culture, including St. Elmo; the ammo saint and St. Barbara; the saint of artillery gunners.
So far, the Vatican has declined to appoint St. Possenti as the official Patron of Handgunners, but Snyder remains hopeful. “I’m going to keep plugging,” he said. “There should be a patron of handgunners and I think it ought to be St. Gabriel Possenti.”