The following statement is issued on behalf of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, and Bishop Robert Brennan, Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes Queens

These should be days of rejoicing as the Jewish community celebrates the beginning of a new year, but we know that there is a somber atmosphere as we mark the one-year anniversary of the evil, heinous terrorist attack against Israel last year on October 7. Our hearts continue to break for those whose lives were lost that terrible day, and for the innocent hostages still held in captivity in Gaza.

In the year that has followed, we know that many more innocent people have been caught in the grips of war, and we mourn every life lost, of Israelis and Palestinians, of Jews, Christians, Muslims, and others. As Pope Francis so eloquently reminds us, religion can never be used to legitimize violence—never! As Christians, and together with people of all faiths, we employ that most powerful tool that we have, prayer, to pray for peace in that land called “holy.”

But the worry of these days is not confined to the Middle East. Right here in New York and around the globe, we note with great anxiety the troubling rise in anti-Semitism. Allow us to say unambiguously to our Jewish friends here in New York and around the world that you are not alone. Too often in the past, we Catholics have failed to stand with you against hatred and anti-Semitism. Shame on us for those times! We join now with religious leaders from all faiths pledging that we will not tolerate anti-Semitism in any form.

May the God of peace and justice bring true and lasting peace to Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, the Holy Land, and the entire Middle East.

October 4, 2024

Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi