In judging the morality of an act of war, an easy ask is always: “Was the belligerent party left with no other recourse?” That does not appear to be true in this case.
Israel Palestine
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
An SOS for Gaza: Christian peace group calls for cease-fire and life-saving aid
With the Gaza death toll rising and entire families obliterated as Israeli forces seek to strike diminishing numbers of Hamas targets, more impassioned appeals for an end to the violence have come from ecclesial and political leaders from around the world.
Posted inEditorials, Politics & Society
A Moral Reckoning in Gaza
The war in Gaza has become one in which “the heart-rending price is being paid by children, the elderly and the sick.” Israel, along with its allies, especially including the United States, must reckon that cost as well.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
American Catholics can’t look away from violence and death in Gaza
In processing the extent of the suffering, it is helpful to recall the foundational principle of our Catholic social teaching—that everyone possesses inherent dignity and the God-given right not just to survive, but to live well.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Focolare president calls for international peace on visit to U.S.
Margaret Karram, president of the Rome-based Focolare movement, visited the United States to discuss current issues in peacemaking.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Cardinal McElroy condemns killing outside DC’s Capital Jewish Museum as ‘antisemitic hatred and murder’
Catholic bishops are calling for prayer after two Israeli Embassy staff members were slain late May 21 outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
Interview: Holy Land Christians raise their voices for the suffering people of Palestine
A Jerusalem Voice for Justice released a statement expressing solidarity with the Palestinians suffering in Gaza and the West Bank and appealing for help from their fellow Christians worldwide “who see our wounds but do not speak out.”
Posted inPolitics & Society, The Weekly Dispatch
What Gaza is like now: 2.1 million people are ‘trapped, bombed and starved’
The Israeli military began perhaps its most aggressive ground offensive so far in the war to root out what is left of Hamas, maintaining an almost daily pace of incursions and airstrikes. The results have been devastating.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
A rabbi’s appreciation of Pope Francis: ‘A man of peace’
In his commitment to dialogue and his fervent desire for peace, Pope Francis has proven to be a valuable friend to the Jewish people.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
Palestinian and Israeli children both have the right to live in safety and dignity
It isn’t the cuteness, the nationality, the religion, the hair or skin color of a child that makes them innocent but rather just being a child.