Editorial

Antisemitism is always unchristian

“Every human being, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, of any people or religion, every human being is sacred, is precious in the eyes of God and has the right to live in peace. Let us not lose hope: let us pray and work tirelessly so that the sense of humanity may prevail over hardness of heart.” (Pope Francis)

The Oct. 7 widespread terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel has triggered expressions of antisemitism here in the United States and across the globe. Why would unspeakable acts of violence occasion such deep-seated feelings of hatred against the Jewish people? Sympathy for the Palestinian people is one thing, but it cannot justify the kind of vile and hateful words and actions that are increasingly common among people of various ethnic and religious backgrounds who despise the Jews.

All Christians should condemn antisemitism unequivocally. Antisemitism is unchristian. To hate Jews is to hate Jesus, Mary, Joseph and all the Apostles. It is to despise the people chosen by God to reveal his presence among us, and it serves to discredit the Old Testament and the heritage we have received from the holy women and men who prepared the way for the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

As Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “It is no accident that the Jews who have been most condemned to suffering, the most battered and wretched, and who did not have to wait for 1940-45 to be in ‘Auschwitz,’ became the people of revelation, who have known God and made him visible to the world.”

There is something special about the Jewish people. They are the race chosen to reveal the invisible creator God to the world, and we Christians believe that this unique responsibility—given to the sons and daughters of Abraham—was carried to its fulfillment in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

The unique and unparalleled mission given to the Jews by God continues today. When they are true to their identity as God’s special people, the Jewish people are living witnesses to the love and mercy of God and to his fidelity to the promises made to all who trust in his Word. As Pope St. John Paul II said in 1986 during a visit to a synagogue in Rome:

The Jewish religion is not “extrinsic” to us, but in a certain way is “intrinsic” to our own religion. With Judaism therefore we have a relationship which we do not have with any other religion. You are our dearly beloved brothers, and, in a certain way, it could be said that you are our elder brothers.

So, when Christians say that they hate Jews, they are really hating themselves and rejecting the “intrinsic” relationship that has existed between Christians and Jews from the beginning of the Church’s existence.

Sadly, antisemitism among Christians is not new. The past 2,000 years have witnessed many inexcusable instances of violence and injustice committed by Christians against their Jewish sisters and brothers.

We should condemn these most regrettable chapters of Christian history, and work to ensure that antisemitism is never again allowed to influence the thinking or behavior of followers of Jesus Christ. If we can see clearly that antisemitism is unchristian, we can’t help but reject the perverted ideas and emotions that give rise to antisemitic acts.

As Pope Francis said recently, “Every human being, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, of any people or religion, every human being is sacred, is precious in the eyes of God and has the right to live in peace.”

This means, of course, that the Palestinian people—both Christians and Muslims—have inalienable rights that must be recognized by the Israeli government and by the international community. But the indiscriminate violence of terrorist organizations like Hamas and its manipulation of Palestinians in Gaza as human shields completely undermine the efforts of true peacemakers, and makes it difficult if not impossible to guarantee the well-being of both Palestinians and Israelis.

Pope Benedict XVI, quoting Pope Pius XI, once wrote: “Spiritually, we are Semites. The Church therefore is opposed to every form of antisemitism, which can never be theologically justified.”

We must oppose every form of antisemitism, wherever and whenever it occurs, because it is an affront to God’s special people and because it deliberately defies God’s will. We Catholic Christians must never again allow the blind rage of antisemitism to overcome our God-given responsibility to build the peace of Jesus Christ in our world.

All people deserve the dignity and respect that are due to God’s children. May we resist every temptation to forget this fundamental truth of our Christian faith.

—Daniel Conway