With great sorrow I have learned of the recent mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and the horrific attack on a Hanukkah gathering at Bondi Beach in Sydney. These acts of violence, including the targeting of the Jewish community, wound the entire human family.
On behalf of the Catholic community of the Diocese of San José, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have died, to the injured, and to all who are grieving in Providence, in Sydney, and beyond. We hold especially in prayer our Jewish brothers and sisters, who once again bear the weight of antisemitic hatred, even as we confront antisemitism here at home.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we affirm the sacred dignity of every human life and reject violence, hatred, and antisemitism in all their forms. I ask all Catholics, and all people of goodwill, to join me in praying for the repose of the souls of those who have died, for healing and consolation for the wounded and sorrowing, and for the conversion of hearts so that we may build a more just and peaceful world.
† Most Rev. Oscar Cantú
Bishop of San José