In their Aug. 8 statement, the bishops did not reference Trump, or any other political leader, by name. Instead they asked all Americans "to stop using hate-filled language that demeans and divides us and motivates some to such horrific violence."
The noted that racial hatred was also apparent as a motivation in last year's Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh and the Mother Emanuel AME Church shooting in Charleston in 2015.
"[W]e ask our leaders and all Americans to work to unite us as a great, diverse, and welcoming people," the bishops said.
While the bishops' statement avoided calling out Trump by name, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller addressed the president in his initial response to the shooting several days earlier.
On his personal Twitter account, the archbishop posted Aug. 5, "President you are a poor man, a very week [sic] man. Stop damaging people. Please!" A second tweet read, "President stop your hatred. People in the US deserve better."
The tweets were later deleted.
In a video posted to the archdiocesan Facebook page the next day, García-Siller said, "I regret that my recent Tweet remarks were not focused on the issues, but on an individual."
"All individuals have God-given dignity and should be accorded respect and love as children of God," the archbishop said, adding, "We should be aware of this in our discourse about the office of the president of the United States, which is due our respect."
García-Siller encouraged prayers for the victims of violence and said his desire is to bring hope and healing, and act in a way that reflects civility and builds unity.
"If I have added to anyone's pain at this emotional time, I deeply regret it."
The archbishop reiterated his condemnation of racism, which he said is still a problem in America today.
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"No one has the moral right to make racist statements," he said, denouncing harassment of immigrants and rhetoric that instigates fear.
"We must pray fervently for peace amidst all the violence which seems to be overwhelming in our society. We must be lights in the darkness," the archbishop concluded. "We do not need more division, but rather we need to move forward in freedom to discuss these topics more deeply in light of the Gospel."