Thousands of U.S. Catholics have signed an open letter to Pres. Biden calling for a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza as threats of starvation grow in the Palestinian enclave.
The following article was published in the July-August 2024 issue of NewsNotes.
More than 5,000 Catholic bishops, priests, women religious, academics, laypeople and Catholic groups have called for a ceasefire in Gaza in an open letter to President Joe Biden.
“We continue to plead for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and adherence to international law by all parties,” they wrote, citing the calls of Pope Francis and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for a ceasefire in the region as well.
While the United States continues to support Israel in the war in Gaza, the death toll continues to rise, and the humanitarian crisis is deepening precipitously. A UN Hunger Hotspots report released in May warns, “Between mid-March and mid-July, half of the population of the Gaza Strip (1.1 million people) is expected to face catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5), and the entire population of the Gaza Strip is expected to face Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) levels of acute food insecurity.” The IPC is the Integrated Food Security Classification scale for Acute Food Insecurity – an internationally recognized five-phase scale, with Phase 5 being the most severe form of insecurity, acute famine.
Meanwhile, Israeli attacks, often using bombs from the United States, continue to kill civilians. The United States continues to send arm to Israel, only halting transfer of 2,000-lb. bombs due to concerns about an Israeli operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians were sheltering.
Various Christian groups have been actively seeking peace with justice throughout the conflict. To those Christians who have not been active, the Rev. Munther Isaac of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem had this to say while speaking on June 11 at a Communal Call to Lament and Repentance at the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, DC: “The silent church is too loud.”
“Where would we be,” he asked, “if Jesus had come to avoid controversy?” He called on the church to repent of the sins of racism, Zionism settler colonialism, and apathy.
For a theological reflection on and systemic analysis of the reality lived by Palestinians, read Decolonizing Palestine by Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb (Orbis Books, 2023).
Many Catholics have expressed dismay and frustration with President Biden as a fellow Catholic, for continuing to support Israel’s war effort despite its devastating impact on civilians. The open letter from U.S. Catholics, organized by the Catholic Advisory Council of Churches for Middle East Peace, MOGC, Pax Christi USA, and the Franciscan Action Network and published in May, gave voice to that frustration, calling on Biden “and other U.S. and international leaders, to do everything possible to ensure a permanent end to hostilities, including halting additional shipments of U.S.-funded offensive weapons to Israel, a return of all hostages, and the immediate distribution of robust humanitarian aid to Gaza.”
The letter notes that “71% of U.S. Catholics support a Gaza ceasefire, echoing the position of Pope Francis, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Society of Jesus, and other U.S. Catholic organizations and leaders.” Pointing to the death toll in Gaza – over 34,000 Palestinians as of the time of publication – injuries, impending famine, the displacement of the majority of Gazans and destruction of 70% of their homes, the letter recognizes the United States’ role in perpetuating the current violence and the ongoing, historic injustice in Israel-Palestine, and expresses a commitment to do more to address the root causes of the current violence.
Two of the organizers of the letter, Julie Schumacher Cohen and Jordan Denari Duffner, published a piece in America magazine referencing the letter, and explaining how Catholic Social Teaching (CST) can guide Catholics in responding to the ongoing violence. They highlight activists guided by the CST principle of solidarity: “they are holding prayer vigils, contacting their government officials, protesting and engaging in civil disobedience, and participating in boycotts.” They also outline the kinds of actions that may flow from the CST principle of subsidiarity, making changes in one’s own community: “hosting talks or teach-ins at our school or parish, holding a fundraiser and donating to aid groups, organizing vigils or public demonstrations, proactively addressing bigotry, or making sure that, when we go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, we don’t focus solely on the spiritual while ignoring the historical and present-day political injustices.”
Faith in action
Read Schumacher Cohen and Denari Duffner’s article and sign the letter from U.S. Catholics. https://mogc.info/CeasefireSignOn
Join the Joint Prayer Service for Peace on July 24 at 9am ET, in Washington, DC on the day of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Congress. Inperson and Online. Register Here
Photo of demonstration outside of the White House on May 30, 2024 by Susan Gunn.