Chautauqua Institution Stands in Solidarity and Prayer Following Assassination Attempt
Today on the Chautauqua Amphitheater stage, Chautauqua Institution Senior Pastor, The Right Reverend Eugene Taylor Sutton spoke out against violence following the attack on President Donald Trump and his supporters. Sutton, the former Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, emphasized the importance of fostering dialogue as an alternative to violence, which threatens the foundation of democracy.
Bishop Sutton opened the morning worship service with a prayer for Former President Trump and all impacted by yesterday’s shooting.
“My friends, we do gather this morning as we grieve over yet another spasm of political violence in our nation. Last night in butler, Pennsylvania, not more than two hours away from here…former President Donald Trump…was wounded by a gun. There were others wounded as well and one was killed. We here at Chautauqua know all too well how violence can affect a community,” said Sutton. “…we strive here to be a beacon to the nation for how to be a community where passions do not overrule our better angels. We strive for our life together to be infused by the grace of truth and the spirit of reconciliation. Let us be in silence for a moment for the victims of that violence and of all violence and I will close that with a prayer attributed to Saint Francis.”
Institution President Michael E. Hill echos Bishop Sutton’s invitation to dialogue, also reflecting on the August 12, 2022, attack of author Salman Rushdie on the same stage from where Bishop Sutton spoke this morning.
“Having experienced firsthand the trauma and tragedy of politically and ideologically motivated violence, the Chautauqua Institution community stands in solidarity and prayer with former President Trump, his family, the family of the deceased and others injured, and with all who are suffering from yesterday’s attack. Hate cannot prevail; it is the antithesis of democracy,” Hill said. “Dialogue and empathy are democracy’s agents, and we’ve made them the centerpiece of our recovery from the attack here two years ago. May they be part of our nation’s collective recovery from this tragedy.”
Bishop Sutton’s remarks are available on video here – Bishop Sutton Statement.