Blase J. Cupich, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Chicago, argues it is time to restrict gun ownership in America.In an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune , Cupich notes that members of Congress applauded Pope Francis' call for an end to the weapons industry that is motivated by "money that is drenched in blood" during his speech to them last month."Surely America's political leaders did not think the pope's comments were limited to arms trade outside of America's borders," Cupich wrote.The Second Amendment, which guarantees citizens the right to own guns, was passed in an era "when organized police forces were few and citizen militias were useful in maintaining the peace," Cupich argues. Its original authors could not have anticipated a time when the weapons we have a right to bear now include military-grade assault weapons that have turned our streets into battlefields."The Second Amendment's original intent has been "perverted" by those who "have profited mightily," he said."Surely there is a middle ground between the original intent of the amendment and the carnage we see today," the archbishop said.The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has long called for "reasonable regulation and controls for guns, especially handguns," he notes, and also wants to ban so-called "assault weapons."Following the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting that left 20 students and six staff members dead, the group sent testimony to Congress."This is the moment to push for better gun controls. We want to build a culture of life and confront the culture of violence," a spokesman for the group told Congress."That moment came and went without meaningful action," Cupich said.