A Sin Against God: Catholic Social Teaching and the Scourge of Antisemitism at Bondi Beach
by CAPP-USA
The deadly attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which claimed at least fifteen lives, has shocked the global community and deeply wounded the Jewish people.
The Bondi Beach massacre resurfaces the Church’s teaching against antisemitism.
It stands as a brutal, modern-day manifestation of an ancient hatred as Australian authorities have confirmed that the violence deliberately targeted the Jewish community. Such hatred, expressed through lethal violence, demands a response grounded in moral clarity and truth.
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) provides that framework. As CAPP-USA has consistently emphasized, antisemitism is not merely a social or political concern; it is a moral evil. Pope Francis has named it plainly and unequivocally: antisemitism is a sin against God. (Letter to Jewish Brothers and Sisters in Israel)
It violates the dignity of the human person and contradicts the core demands of the Gospel.
See: Antisemitism and Catholic Social Teaching: A Call to Action for Every Catholic
Human Dignity
At the foundation of CST is the principle of Human Dignity—the unchanging truth that every person is created in the image and likeness of God. Violence directed at individuals or communities because of their identity represents a profound rejection of this truth.
Antisemitism, in particular, constitutes a grave injustice that wounds both its victims and the broader moral order. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, such acts offend human dignity and undermine the bonds of solidarity upon which a just society depends. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1929)
Solidarity
The CST pillar of Solidarity obliges Catholics to stand clearly and publicly with our Jewish brothers and sisters. Solidarity is not optional, nor is it merely emotional. It is a firm and persevering commitment to the common good.
In an era marked by rising antisemitic rhetoric and violence, silence cannot be mistaken for neutrality. To remain passive in the face of hatred is to fail the Gospel’s call to love one’s neighbor and to defend those who are targeted and vulnerable.
The Church’s rejection of antisemitism is rooted in authoritative teaching. The Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate (1965) decisively repudiated the false notion of collective Jewish guilt for the death of Christ and called for mutual respect and understanding between Catholics and Jews.
This teaching has been consistently reaffirmed by the popes. Saint John Paul II articulated this bond with particular clarity, reminding the Church that Christians and Jews are “connected at the very level of their identities,” a relationship grounded in God’s enduring covenant. (Address to Representatives of the Jewish World Organizations)
In light of contemporary violence against Jewish communities, Catholic Social Teaching calls for renewed vigilance and concrete action. Catholics are called to form consciences, reject all forms of racism and discrimination, (The Church and Racism, 33) and act locally to foster authentic relationships rooted in truth and respect. Genuine brotherhood must be visible in practice, especially when fear and violence threaten to divide.
What Bondi Beach Can Teach Us
The attack at Bondi Beach is not only an assault on a particular community; it is an attack on the moral foundations of a just and humane society. By drawing on the enduring wisdom of Catholic Social Teaching, Catholics can help transform grief and outrage into resolve—resolve to confront antisemitism wherever it appears, to uphold the inviolable dignity of every human person, and to bear faithful public witness to the Gospel’s demands of justice, solidarity, and peace.
Prayer: With our Jewish brothers and sisters, we cry out: How long, O Lord? We mourn those whose lives were stolen by the ancient scourge of hatred. May God grant them rest, and may their memories be for a blessing. We pray for the injured, for the bereaved, and for all who live in fear. And we ask for the courage to be instruments of Your peace in a world too often marked by violence.
