The Saint Leo University Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies (CCJS) condemns the antisemitic massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, that occurred on October 27th, 2018. We are horrified by this mass shooting within a sacred place of worship, which represents the deadliest attack upon the Jewish community in the history of the United States. The attack is an assault on our Jewish brothers and sisters, the American tradition of religious freedom, and our shared human dignity.
We must not remain silent in the face of attacks on our Jewish neighbors, or other religious minorities, and we recall that the Catholic Church condemns discrimination or harassment of any human person because of religion or race. Such attitudes and actions are “foreign to the mind of Christ (
Nostra Aetate
5).” The Church “decries...displays of anti-Semitism directed against Jews by anyone and at any time (
Nostra Aetate
4).” Pope Francis has asserted that the Catholic Church “feels particularly obliged to do all that is possible with our Jewish friends to repel anti-Semitic tendencies.” Indeed, anti-Semitism, according to Saint Pope John Paul II, is a sin against God and humanity.
We send sympathies to the victims and families of those murdered. We encourage all members of the Catholic community to
show solidarity
with our Jewish neighbors by sending personal messages of support, and studying about the danger of
antisemitic ideology
. We encourage you to make use of
educational resources
provided by the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, and other Jewish organizations, for discussions in the church, the home, and the classroom. The CCJS is committed to promoting mutual respect, knowledge, and understanding through dialogue, study, and teaching.
