Saint Joseph Catholic Church

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Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the new apostolic nuncio to the United States, spoke at a recent UN event commemorating the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

Linking Islamophobia to lack of respect for other religions and for religious freedom, Archbishop Caccia said that “the growing instances of intolerance, discrimination and hostility targeting Muslims, Jews, Christians and followers of other traditional religions stem from a failure to recognize and defend the right to freedom of religion or belief.”

“The persistence of Islamophobia in the world is a clear reminder of how urgently religious freedom must be upheld,” he added. “Discrimination and violence against Muslims not only harm individuals, but also damages the spiritual, moral, and social fabric of societies at large, weakening the bonds of trust and solidarity that humanity particularly needs in the current international context.”

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem deplored religious justifications for the conflicts in the Middle East.

“The abuse and manipulation of God’s name to justify this and any other war is the gravest sin we can commit at this time,” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, said during a webinar. “War is first and foremost political and has very material interests, like most wars. We must do everything we can to leave no room for this pseudo-religious language, which speaks not of God, but of ourselves.”

Asked specifically about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s recent reference to Psalm 144, Cardinal Pizzaballa said:

We need to say that no, there are no new crusades. If God is present in this war, He is among those who are dying, who are suffering, who are in pain, who are oppressed in various ways, throughout the Middle East—I am not saying on one side or the other.

This conflict has religious connotations, but they are manipulations: those who wish to bring religion into it exploit the name of God.