New Archbishop of Boston Refuses to Call for a Ceasefire in the Middle East after Urgent Request from Pax Christi Massachusetts

Press Release: 12/23/2024

On December 13, the Massachusetts chapter of Pax Christi, the international Catholic peace movement, issued a letter to Reverend Richard Henning, Archbishop of Boston, requesting he join both Pope Francis and Pax Christi by standing in solidarity with victims of violence in Gaza and Lebanon. Specifically, the group requested that the new archbishop:

• Call publicly for an immediate ceasefire;
• Direct priests within the archdiocese to do the same in their weekly sermons;
• Instruct parishes to include a call for a ceasefire in the Middle East in the prayers of the faithful.

In a conversation on December 20, Monsignor Bryan Hehir, a high ranking advisor to the archbishop, told Jeanne Connerney, the letter’s lead author, that while the archbishop appreciates the letter, he is not prepared to heed Pax Christi’s requests. When asked if Henning would be willing to meet with Pax Christi members to discuss the issue further, she was told that he was extremely busy and that it’s almost impossible for anyone to get time on his calendar.
Conversely, Pope Francis has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza during the past year, has condemned attacks by Israel as “immoral and disproportionate,” and has endorsed a genocide investigation in his recently published book.
After 76 years of conflict, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas attacked a music festival in Israel on October 7, 2023, where 1,139 people were killed and approximately 250 taken hostage. Israel responded by beginning a bombing campaign in Gaza, which since then has slaughtered at least 45,000 people, 70% of whom are women, children, and the elderly.
Although a purported ceasefire agreement was signed by Lebanon and Israel in November of 2024, both sides have accused each other of violating the truce, and the violence continues. Israeli bombing has resulted in at least 2,700 deaths in Lebanon, and many more inhabitants have been displaced and/or injured. Israeli aggression continues to expand into Syria, the West Bank, and Yemen.
Pax Christi MA hoped Archbishop Henning would be more willing than his predecessor to publicly condemn ongoing violence in the Middle East. Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who led the Boston Archdiocese until August 2024, issued a statement on October 11, 2023, which is available on the archdiocese website. In it, he condemns the attacks by Hamas on October 7, offers solidarity to the American Jewish community, and states, “There is no room for moral ambiguity on this issue. Resisting such terrorism and aggression is the moral duty of states to be carried out within moral limits.”
Despite a request from Pax Christi last March, the Cardinal refused to call for a ceasefire after 31,000 Palestinians had been killed. The group hoped the new leadership would break the silence, use their voices to stand up against ongoing death and suffering, and show that the archdiocese believes Palestinian lives matter as much as Israeli lives.
“By justifying Israel’s murder of civilians, the Boston Archdiocese seems to be saying that Jesus was wrong when He commanded His followers to love their enemies,” asserts Dr. Philip Harak, Co-Coordinator of Pax Christi MA. “Rather than justifying killing under certain circumstances, Jesus modeled nonviolent, creative, and courageous direct confrontation of evil. Jesus commands His followers in John 13:34 to love everyone as He loves us. The silence of our local Church leaders in the face of this slaughter implies complicity. During this season when we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, we are reminded that creating peace requires direct action. Although local Church leadership refuses to follow the Pope’s direction, Pax Christi MA will continue to join with others and proceed nonviolently in our strong opposition to this evil. We will continue to urge Archbishop Henning to join us in condemning violence, and we remain open to dialogue with him.”

Letter sent 12/13/2024 from Pax Christi Massachusetts to Archbishop Henning