The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called on the faithful to reject antisemitism “and the lies and conspiracies that fuel it,” amid a wave of conspiracy theories promoted by certain Catholic figures in the conservative movement.
Alexander Sample, archbishop of Portland, Ore., and chair of the conference’s Committee for Religious Liberty, released a video on Wednesday ahead of Easter in which he said that “sadly,” celebration of the holiday “has at times been the occasion for outbursts of hatred and even violence against Jews.”
“The Catechism of the Council of Trent teaches that the Jews do not bear the collective guilt for the death of Jesus,” Sample said. “The church made this teaching explicit at the Second Vatican Council in Nostra Aetate.”
Sample said that holding Jews “collectively responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus” has been “one of the causes of a great deal of the hatred for the Jewish people.”
“We reject the conspiracies and lies that lead to harassment and even violence against our Jewish brothers and sisters,” he said.
The statement comes amid a growing trend of self-described Catholic figures in the conservative movement taking anti-Israel or antisemitic positions under the banner of “America First,” often citing their faith.
The Catholic Speakers Organization lists among its speakers podcaster Candace Owens and Carrie Prejean Boller, whom U.S. President Donald Trump removed from the U.S. Religious Liberty Commission after she derailed a hearing on religious oppression to disavow Zionism in what she described as a defense of the Catholic faith.
Nathan Diament, executive director of Orthodox Union Advocacy, told JNS that Sample’s statement on behalf of the conference “could not come at a more important time with bad actors weaponizing Catholicism to spread antisemitic views.”
“We are grateful for the leadership of the church itself stating unequivocally that the church rejects those assertions and repudiates antisemitism,” Diament told JNS.
