La. Catholic churches won't allow guns
by WILL SENTELL - Advocate (excerpt)

Concealed handguns will continue to be banned in Catholic churches despite a new state law that allows them, officials said Monday. The decision was made by Louisiana’s Catholic bishops.

“We don’t think it is appropriate to have guns in churches,” said Danny Loar, executive director of the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops. The conference is the public policy arm of the Catholic church in Louisiana.

Loar said that, shortly after Gov. Bobby Jindal signed the bill on July 6, he sent an e-mail to Catholic bishops, who had discussed the issue earlier this year when they reviewed legislation. “The bishops decided that, if the bill became law, the bishops would let their pastors know that this would not be permissible in Catholic churches,” Loar said.