Page 45 - October 7 - Teresa Pirola

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Australian Catholic Bishops’ Statement Struggles
in the Face of Re-emerging Antisemitism
8 December 2023
“ I am not in the habit of publicly criticising bishops. However, these were not ordinary times. October 7 was a critical opportunity
for the church to demonstrate that it had
learned from history. This was Catholics’ historic Nostra Aetate moment to show Jews that they kept their promises and that things were different now. Instead, the church seemed to prove that, while its teaching had changed,
much else hadn’t. I offered this article to an ” Australian Catholic magazine that welcomes
robust debate on controversial issues. However, it was never published or posted until now.
Australia’s Catholic bishops, in a statement issued on 10 November 2023, have chosen not to condemn the organised slaughter by Hamas of men, women and children in Israel on October 7.
Nor have they spoken out as one voice against the wave of antisemitic reactions that swept the world following October 7. This included celebrations of Hamas’ violence and chants
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