Catholic Bishops extend condolences to Jewish Community
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November 1, 2018Rabbi Reuben Poupko
Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl
Rabbi Debra Landsberg
Rabbi Jonathan Infeld
Dear Chairs of the Canadian Rabbinic Caucus,
On behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Canada, we wish to extend to you and the Jewish communities of Canada our deepest condolences and support in response to the shooting that took place at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this past Saturday.
We have tragically learned that this horrendous incident has claimed the lives of eleven congregants of the synagogue along with many others injured, including first responders.
This act of unspeakable violence during the Sabbath is a terrible and clear manifestation of anti-Semitism, a scourge which most regrettably persists in our world today and is of great concern to the Jewish community, the Catholic Church and society as a whole. We are acutely aware of and sensitive to the trauma caused by such acts reverberates throughout the Jewish communities with its pain and terrible affects not being lessened by distance or geographic borders.
At this difficult time of both mourning and distress, we wish to tighten the hands of friendship with you, to emphasize our solidarity, our prayers, and our closeness to the Jewish people of Canada. May the Lord of peace and love comfort those who have lost their loved ones and extinguish the vehemence, hate and division which are plaguing our world.
May their memory be for a blessing.
+Lionel Gendron, P.S.S.
Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil and
President of the Canadian Conference
of Catholic Bishops
+ John A. Boissonneau
Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto
Catholic Co-Chair of the Canadian Conference of
Catholic Bishops – Canadian Rabbinic Caucus
Dialogue
+Paul-André Durocher
Archbishop of Gatineau
Member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic
Bishops – Canadian Rabbinic Caucus Dialogue
c.c.: - Mr. Richard Marceau, Vice President, External Affairs and General Counsel, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
- Mr. Steve McDonald, Director of Policy and Strategic Communications, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
