President of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Bishop Chairmen Condemn Today’s Attack in The Old City of Jerusalem

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Daniel N.DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops (USCCB), along with Bishop Oscar Cantú, of Las Cruces, Chair ofthe Committee on International Justice and Peace, and Bishop Mitchell Rozanski,of Springfield, Chair of the Committee on Ecumenical and InterreligiousAffairs, have issued the following statement on today'sattack in the Old City of Jerusalem. The deadlyattack took place early this morning by the Lions' Gate in the Old City walls,next to what Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary and Jews call the Temple Mount. 

Full statement follows:

On behalf of the United States Conference of CatholicBishops, we condemn in the strongest possible terms today's attack in the OldCity of Jerusalem. It is a particulardesecration to carry out armed attacks in and around sites holy to Muslims andJews in a city that is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. We mourn for the lives lost and deplore the heightenedtensions that such an attack can spawn. It was encouraging that both President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack. The path to peace, for which both Israelis and Palestinians yearn,cannot be paved with violence.

CardinalDaniel N. DiNardo
Archbishopof Galveston-Houston
President,United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

MostRev. Oscar Cantú
Bishopof Las Cruces
Chairman,Committee on International Justice and Peace

MostRev. Mitchell T. Rozanski
Bishopof Springfield
Chairman,Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

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Keywords:U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, BishopOscar Cantú, Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, Old City Jerusalem, Temple Mount,Noble Sanctuary, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Mahmoud Abbas,Israelis, Palestinians, peace.

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