Why Does the Church Sometimes Bless Guns?

I have a priest cousin who works in a parish near the Army headquarters. He told me that he had just recently been asked to bless, in the absence of the military chaplain at that headquarters, the newly acquired assault rifles and guns in the headquarters’ armory and the soldiers who will be using them. While my priest cousin was amused by it, I was not. The question was simple: Why would the Church bless guns, tools that can kill?

From Eclipsing Galileo’s Work to Spaceships and Exoplanets: The Vatican’s Evolving Relationship with Astronomy

Vatican astronomers have announced exoplanet discoveries and plans to launch a space mission. Surprised? The Church’s history with astronomy ranges from its contributions to scientific discoveries to its infamous trial of Galileo. Today, the Church is actively investing in astronomical observatories and space research as part of its ongoing efforts to reconcile with its past and support scientific exploration.