Page 49 - October 7 - Teresa Pirola

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The Hamas-Israel War and the Hypocrisy of ‘Not Taking Sides’
Francis, was clearly emerging. This stance might be described as a well-intentioned, non- partisan, ‘balanced’ approach of showing that Catholics should not take ‘sides’ in the current
conflict.Iwrotethisarticletohighlightthe ” fundamental flaw of such an approach and its abandonment of the Jewish people. However, it
was never published or posted until now.
We are not supposed to ‘take sides’, we Catholics. That appears to be the dominant message within church circles during this deadly war in Gaza. ‘Taking sides’, it seems, is un- Christian. We are supposed to rise above such narrow-minded partisanship. There is only one legitimate side to be taken— ‘the side of peace’.
This position is well-meaning and has a point. Its proponents are concerned to uphold the dignity of all human beings and to hold together a fragile social fabric amidst polarised opinions and widespread anguish. I have espoused a version of this position myself in past writings about the
8 December 2023
“ By December 2023, the stance taken by most Catholic leaders, heavily influenced by Pope
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