Archbishop Eamon Martin has condemned an antisemitic attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, which left 15 people dead, urging Christians to counter prejudice and hatred wherever it appears.
Speaking during the annual Christmas Carol Service in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland said the Jewish festival of light had been “horrifically overshadowed by the darkness and evil”.
As the third candle of the Advent wreath was lit, Archbishop Martin said Christians in Ireland stood in solidarity with Jewish communities worldwide, celebrating Hanukkah at home and abroad.
He noted that many Irish families have sons and daughters living in Sydney and the Bondi Beach area, saying the violence would have been deeply shocking and frightening for all present.
The archbishop warned of what he described as a rise in antisemitism in recent times, insisting that Christians “must do everything in our power to counteract prejudice and hatred towards our Jewish brothers and sisters, or indeed towards any minorities”.
