Vatican News

Bishop Scott Bullock of Rapid City, South Dakota, in the United States, has expressed his strong disagreement with a decision announced by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in retaining Medals of Honor given to twenty soldiers involved in the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre in which nearly 300 unarmed Lakota men, women, and children were killed. The Bishop, together with the De Smet Jesuit Community of West River, South Dakota, issued a statement on the matter following the Defense Secretary’s decision to retain the honors given to the soldiers saying he was defending it as historical accuracy rather than giving in to political correctness.

Grounded in truth, conscience, and compassion

The statement by the De Smet Jesuit Community and Bishop Bullock emphasized that the Wounded Knee Massacre was not an act of bravery but a grave moral atrocity. Citing historical sources, including General Nelson Miles’s 1891 letter condemning the massacre, and the 2024 South Dakota Senate Resolution 701 denouncing the medals, the statement says that honoring such acts distorts history and dishonors the Medal of Honor. They write that “the facts of the tragedy at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29, 1890, are clear. On that day, U.S. Army soldiers massacred nearly 300 Lakota women, children, and unarmed men. This was not a battle. To recognize these acts as honorable is to distort history itself. Our response, therefore, is rooted not in ‘political correctness’ but in prayerful correctness, grounded in truth, conscience, and compassion.”

Sacred dignity of every human life

They encourage looking at this past, tragic event, “grounded in Christian faith” in remembering “the sacred dignity of every human life—victims and perpetrators alike—while insisting that evil actions cannot be celebrated.” They call “for truth, repentance, and reconciliation rooted in honesty and compassion, urging Americans to face historical injustices to build a future of peace and justice.”

The statement further recalls their service of the Lakota people, and they acknowledge the government’s intent to honor its troops, yet it firmly rejects “any narrative that erases the humanity of the victims or glorifies acts of violence.”

“As Catholics and followers of Jesus Christ, we proclaim the infinite dignity of every human life. We confess that humanity—capable of love and goodness—is also capable of terrible evil. Our Lord Jesus, out of love for the world, accepted the cross rather than take up arms against others. His crucifixion and resurrection reveal that true victory comes not through killing but through suffering love, mercy, and truth.”

Remembering and speaking the truth

In conclusion, the statment points out that in denying one’s part in history can “deepen the harm” and can perpetuate injustice and moral blindness.

“Let us, through the power and love of Jesus, choose—like him—to stand with our brothers and sisters, walking together in truth, remembering the victims, and seeking reconciliation rooted in honesty and compassion. Only by facing the cross of our shared history can we move toward resurrection—a future of just and lasting peace for all God’s beloved children.”