Martin Gugino was finally released from the hospital Wednesday after a severe head injury from being shoved by Buffalo police during the Black Lives Matter protests in the city. Now Catholic Bishop Edward Scharfenberger is correcting the record on false news stories from the right-wing One America News Network.
Gugino is known by his community as well as organizations that help the homeless as far away as Connecticut where he would drive over six hours to volunteer with the Amistad Catholic Worker program, reported the Catholic News Agency. Friends say that he has long been an activist for peace, but in his retirement, he has worked even more to help the poor and disenfranchised.
“We stand with all who demonstrate peacefully and speak out against abuse of power and injustice of every kind,” said Bishop Scharfenberger, the apostolic administrator of the diocese of Buffalo. “We honor Mr. Gugino’s witness and service to the Catholic Worker Movement."
After seeing a report on OANN, President Donald Trump attacked Gugino, falsely calling him "an ANTIFA provocateur.” Antifa has become a pejorative from conservatives, but it stands for anti-fascism.
Bishop Scharfenberger noted in his statement that Christians must follow Gugino's example.
“As Christians it is our obligation to work towards bringing about truth, justice, and peace. We stand with all who demonstrate peacefully and speak out against abuse of power and injustice of every kind," the Bishop said.
“Our prayers are with Martin Gugino for his full recovery, and also for his family who have had to confront this terrible ordeal with him," he closed.
"Martin is shy and reserved," said Mark Colville, who runs Amistad Catholic Worker. "He likes his privacy. He doesn't make a spectacle of himself. He likes to show up and be present. He likes to be involved in these movements for justice. But he doesn't do it in a self-promoting kind of way."
