Bishop Nicholas Hudson and Bishop James Curry have issued a joint statement on the third anniversary of the Hamas terror attack that killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage:
“7 October marks the third anniversary of Hamas’s brutal massacre of Israeli civilians during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
“We remember and pray for those Israelis who were killed or taken hostage and for their families whose lives have been devastated by loss. We remember the Jewish people around the world who continue to carry deep wounds and trauma caused by the atrocities of that day.
“We pray for the tens of thousands killed in Gaza too. To all who have suffered and continue to suffer immensely as a result of the ensuing war – we hold you in our thoughts and prayers. May God, in his mercy, comfort and strengthen you and bring an end to the violence and grief, so that peace may take root.
“Pope Leo reminds us that ‘there is no future based on violence, forced exile, or vengeance’ and that those who love peace must work for it. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pizzaballa has likewise repeatedly called on the Church to build bridges of dialogue and not turn away from the Holy Land, even when the situation seems overwhelmingly complex and painful.
“We therefore strongly advocate for dialogue, forgiveness, justice and reconciliation. Whilst praying for the victims of the awful events of 7 October we need to work for an end to antisemitism throughout the world. We also pray for and work for a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land. This is the only way forward.”
Bishop Nicholas Hudson
Bishop of Plymouth
Chair of the Department for International Affairs
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
Bishop James Curry
Auxiliary Bishop, Diocese of Westminster
Lead Bishop for the Holy Land
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
