HARNESSING THE ENERGY FOR REform

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 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 Andrew’s 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 4,000 refugees from Kosova 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.