"It is a duty of us all to work together to ensure a more cohesive and respectful society, one in which such violence and inhumanity have no place."
"Expressions of utter hatred" must "not be tolerated" in England, the cardinal of London's Diocese of Westminster said.
Bishops in the United Kingdom responded after a man killed two people worshiping at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, England, on October 2.
"The killing of two Jewish worshippers, the injuries inflicted on others, and the attempt to drive a car into a crowd in Manchester today are expressions of utter hatred that must not be tolerated in this land. That such an attack is directed at the Jewish community, and on Yom Kippur, this most solemn of days, shocks me to the core," said Cardinal Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.
"Jewish and Christian people are closely bound together in our common faith in God," said the cardinal, adding, "Indeed, in the Catholic tradition, Jewish people are held to be the 'elder brothers' in faith of our Christian family."
"My prayers, and those of the Catholic community, are heartfelt and profound: for those who have died, the bereaved, the injured, and those who will feel less safe tonight. It is a duty of us all to work together to ensure a more cohesive and respectful society, one in which such violence and inhumanity have no place," said Nichols.
United against hatred
Bishop John Arnold of Salford, whose diocese includes Manchester, offered similar sentiment, urging "community solidarity" and saying people need to be united "against those who sow hatred and division."
“The local Catholic community stand united in our prayers for the Jewish community following the tragic attack on a synagogue in Manchester, especially on this sacred day of Yom Kippur," said Arnold,
“We condemn such acts and pray for those who have died, the injured, emergency responders, and all affected," he said.
Pope Leo's concern
Pope Leo XIV went on to mention the killing in the Angelus address on Sunday. Noting it in the context of a number of concerning world events, he spoke right after of Gaza.
I express my concern about the rise of antisemitic hatred in the world, as unfortunately we saw with the terrorist attack in Manchester a few days ago. I continue to be saddened by the immense suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
