An open letter to Catholic Bishops. Please speak up.

As Catholics we urge all bishops to take whatever action is available to help end the genocidal acts in Gaza.

The late Pope Francis was very clear on his great love and concern for the Palestinian people. He has described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as shameful and likened the war to terrorism.

Whilst Pope Francis has been living out the Gospels in caring for the oppressed and vulnerable our Bishops have said not nearly enough.

In his Easter message this year, a day before he died, Pope Francis again highlighted the tragedy of the people in Gaza. He said: “I think of the people of Gaza and its Christian community where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable situation. I appeal to the warring parties, call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people."

Even in his final weeks, Pope Francis was calling the Holy Family Church in Gaza almost every night. The Church had become a shelter for the enclave’s tiny Christian community and Muslims. A local Christian resident of Gaza said, “Francis was a man of faith who inquired about both Christians and Muslims."

Our new Pope Leo XIV thanked the cardinals, “who have chosen me to be the successor of Peter and to walk with you as a united Church, always seeking peace, justice, always striving to work as faithful women and men of Jesus Christ without fear..”

He added “we want to be… a Church that always seeks peace, always seeks charity, always strives to be close especially to those who suffer”.

Israel, with the active or tacit support of the United States together with many Western countries including Australia, has used the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023 as an opportunity to ethnically cleanse Palestinians in Gaza, either by killing them or making Gaza uninhabitable. That ethnic cleansing plan is now quite clear. It cannot be denied. Mass starvation is at hand.

In 1948, Palestinians owned 94% of all land. Following the colonial violence by Israel, Palestinians now own only 18%. We saw, in Australia, a similar shameful eviction of Indigenous people.

At least 60,000 people, including 10,000 children have been massacred in Gaza. Tens of thousands more have been injured, orphaned or traumatised. Perhaps 10,000 people are still buried under the rubble.

We are complicit in the deliberate policy to starve the people of Gaza.

What would Jesus have done in this situation?

Pax Christi Australia has expressed its concern about the Gaza and the lack of response by churches in Australia: “There have, in Sydney, been more than 70 rallies in solidarity with Gaza. Each one has been done under the shadow of either St Mary’s Cathedral (Catholic) or St Andrews Cathedral (Anglican). Ignoring the genocide, these buildings have stood in the background as cold, hard, stony and silent edifices. It seems that some lives are worthy of grief and solidarity whilst others are not. The West has shown that its commitment to human rights is conditional, selective, deeply politicised and deeply entrenched and subservient to Zionist propaganda. Those in authority are complicit in the continuing genocide."

The Josephite Sisters put it so well this Easter…”to speak out against the violence of the Israeli Government is not antisemitism; it is a cry for justice”.

What are the urgent matters that Bishops should publicly support?

An immediate ceasefire as urged by Pope Francis.

Release of all the 59 remaining hostages and the bodies of dead hostages and soldiers held by Hamas and the progressive release of more than 10,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Israel should allow the UN and other international agencies unlimited access to ensure the provision of food, water, medical supplies and equipment, shelter and earth- and rubble-moving machinery.

Urgent action to process and admit many thousands of Palestinians for at least temporary settlement in Australia. This is what we did in 1999 with 4000 refugees from Kosovar They were granted Temporary Protection Visas.

Australia should commit to enforcing, in Australia, all orders of the International Criminal Court and identify ways to implement any decisions and opinions of the International Court of Justice relating to Israel and Palestine.

Australia should extend its current limited arms embargo on Israel to include the provision of arms or arms components through third states, the trade in dual-use items (especially those related to drones and to surveillance) and prohibit the import from Israel of all such items.

Recognition of a Palestinian State

Australia should play a full role in next month’s UN-convened conference on implementation of UN resolutions on the Two-State Solution, including proposing action by the Security Council or, failing Security Council action, by the General Assembly under the United for Peace procedure.

Never again

A great moral test is before us all. “Never again” must be for all humanity as both Popes Francis and Leo have recently reminded us.

We urge all Catholic Bishops to provide leadership to help bring an end to the genocidal acts.

Please speak up.

Catholics for Justice and Peace for Palestinians.

Signed

Clare Condon

A Sister of the Good Samaritans and former leader for 12 years. In 2013, she was awarded an Australian Human Rights Commission Medal and an Honorary Doctorate of the Australian Catholic University in 2022.

C​hris Sidoti

Chris is a commissioner on the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.

Marilyn Hatton

Marilyn has advocated for gender equality in the Catholic Church for 20 years. She was the founding co-ordinator of the Australasian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform and continues to work for an inclusive Catholic Church nationally and internationally.

Francis Sullivan AO

Francis Sullivan has held senior executive roles in the Catholic health and social services sector. He was the Chief executive of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council and a previous chair of the Mater Group of hospitals and Catholic Social Services Australia. He currently chairs Jesuit Social Services and Concerned Catholics Canberra Goulburn. He was a member of the recent Plenary Council of the Church and is an adjunct professor at the Australian Catholic University.

​Claire Victory

Claire is a lawyer and Catholic with more than 30 years of experience with and through the Church and Catholic organisations. She was formerly national president of the St Vincent de Paul Society and a member of the Fifth Catholic Plenary Council of Australia.

John Warhurst AO

Prof John Warhurst is Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the ​ANU, ​and former chair of the Australian Republican Movement. He was a member of the Catholic Plenary Council and founding ​chair of Concerned Catholics Canberra/Goulburn. He has served on the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, the Board of Marist 180 and Catholic Social Services Australia, and the National Council of Caritas​, Australia.

Patty Fawkner

Patty Fawkner is a former Congregational Leader of the Sisters of the Good Samaritans. She has had extensive experience ministering in diverse Church agencies and is committed to helping create a more inclusive, mutual Church where the gifts of all, especially women, are welcomed and celebrated.

John Menadue AO

J​ohn Menadue is the editor-in-chief of Pearls and Irritations and a Catholic, active in justice and peace issues. He was a fundraiser and volunteer for many years at the Matthew Talbot Hostel for homeless men in Sydney.