And sadly, they denounce American support for Israel as a betrayal of US national interest, vilify Israel\u2019s conduct while ignoring the existential threat it has faced since its founding, and frame hostility toward the Jewish State as a matter of principle.<\/p>\n
Their rhetoric has contributed to a climate in which hostility toward Israel is presented as the authentic Catholic position.<\/p>\n
A new initiative, Catholic Voices for Israel, has officially launched with its founding public statement: \u201cFor Zion\u2019s sake: A Catholic appeal in support of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Candace](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/691321.jpeg\"\/)
Candace Owens speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Detroit, Michigan, June, 14, 2024; illustrative. (credit: REUTERS\/REBECCA COOK)<\/p>\n
It was initiated by two Catholic theologians: Reverend Dr. Antoine Levy, OP and Dominican friar, and Dr. Andre Villeneuve, associate professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit.<\/p>\n
Over 150 Catholic leaders<\/a> around the world have signed up to its list of affirmations and commitments, including six from Israel:<\/p>\n 1. We reject the new replacement theology promoted by certain Catholic theologians, apologists, and commentators as contrary to Scripture and the Church\u2019s teaching.<\/p>\n The Church does not replace or erase Israel; she participates in Israel\u2019s election and calling.<\/p>\n 2. We affirm that Catholics, who recognize Israel\u2019s existence as a sign of God\u2019s ongoing faithfulness, stand within the bounds of authentic Catholic reflection.<\/p>\n 3. We affirm that Catholic theological discourse must never again become a seedbed for antisemitism \u2013 including antisemitism operating under the guise of anti-Zionism.<\/p>\n As the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee has stated, authentic Catholic theology must include \u201cthe recognition of the unique and unbroken covenantal relationship between God and the Jewish People and the total rejection of antisemitism in all its forms, including anti-Zionism as a more recent manifestation of antisemitism.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. \u00a0We affirm Israel\u2019s right to defend herself against those who deny her right to exist, including adversaries driven by jihadist ideologies explicitly committed to Israel\u2019s destruction.<\/p>\n A Catholic moral framework that applies just war principles even-handedly must acknowledge both Israel\u2019s right to self-defense and the genuine severity of the threats she faces \u2013 threats that too many Catholic commentators minimize or ignore entirely.<\/p>\n 5. We acknowledge the dignity and suffering of the Palestinian people and seek a just and lasting peace for all who live in the land. We do not minimize the gravity of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, requiring urgent attention and relief.<\/p>\n We recognize that Palestinian Christians in particular bear costs they did not choose, and that their welfare must be part of any just resolution.<\/p>\n 6. We condemn the actions of extremist elements within Israeli society \u2013 including within the political class, the military, and the settler movement \u2013 whose conduct toward the non-Jewish inhabitants of the land, including violence against Palestinian civilians, falls gravely short of the moral standards the Jewish tradition itself demands.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s election entails moral responsibility towards all who live in the land.<\/p>\n 7. We reject the framing of hostility toward Israel as a Catholic moral imperative.<\/p>\n In particular, we reject the politically motivated application of terms like \u201cgenocide\u201d and \u201cethnic cleansing\u201d to Israeli military operations, charges that require a far higher evidentiary standard than their uncritical use in some media and public discourse suggests.<\/p>\n Appeals to the Catholic world<\/p>\n Catholic Voices for Israel also make the following appeal:<\/p>\n A call to repentance and a call to action: Fidelity to the Gospel calls Catholics to repent of every form of replacement theology, anti-Judaism, and antisemitism, including the subtler forms in anti-Zionist discourse.<\/p>\n Standing with Israel is an investment in the Church\u2019s own renewal and mission: \u201cIf Israel\u2019s stumbling has meant riches for the world, how much more will their fullness mean?\u201d (Romans 11:12). We invite all Catholics and people of good will to join us.<\/p>\n A call to Catholic leaders and institutions: We call upon bishops, priests, theologians, educators, and Catholic media to speak clearly and consistently against replacement theology and anti-Zionism<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n We encourage Catholic universities, seminaries, and publications to teach the Church\u2019s authentic doctrine on Judaism \u2013 not as a marginal addendum, but as an integral part of Catholic formation.<\/p>\n A word to the Vatican: many senior Catholic leaders have affirmed Biblical Zionism. For example, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, formerly the Pope\u2019s personal preacher, wrote in his book The Mystery of Christmas:<\/p>\n \u201cAs a Christian, I could not remain prisoner of the political judgments the world was passing on Israel\u2026 We share with the Jews the Biblical certainty that God gave them the country of Canaan forever (Genesis 17:8; Isaiah 43:5; Jeremiah 32:22; Ezekiel 36:24; Amos 9:14)\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29)\u2026 In other words, we know that God gave Israel the land, but there is no mention of His taking it back again forever.\u201d<\/p>\n We express hope that the Vatican will build upon its historic diplomatic recognition of the state of Israel by articulating more fully the theological foundations for that recognition.<\/p>\n