The Catholic Church cannot afford and is not allowed to be anti-Israel. This may be a strong statement, but just as true and logical. The reason for this is the Church’s own tradition and history.
A Church that prides to hold direct link by the succession of Popes to St. Peter cannot and should not be against what St. Peter was in favor; his own nation. By default, that would mean the Catholic Church is against the saint himself. For instance, if one loves his or her cat very much and at the same time desires to get rid of all cats in the world, that means they will eventually want to harm their own cat. This is simple logic. The same way, the Catholic Church looks ridiculous and lacks logic when it goes against her most highly regarded saint’s nation.
Very important to underline is the fact that the Catholic Church cannot afford the luxury of not supporting the Jewish people to leave in peace and prosper in their own land. The Church should have learnt a very painful lesson from history; when Islam took over Palestine, Christians were not allowed to worship at their most holy sites. However, the Israeli nation, whose land this is by divine decree, is gracious, peaceful and wise enough to allow not only the Catholic Church but also other branches of Christianity to have sovereignty over holy sites in Israel. This too is an crucial reason the Catholic Church should do her best to support the nation of Israel in every way possible. To be fair, who is against Israel generally is against Christians as well.
Lastly, the Church’s most holy saints, St. Peter and St. Paul, would encourage any of their followers to love the nation of Israel because they themselves loved their state. Some would suggest that Israel should be hated because they crucified Jesus. St Peter, however, in his bold speech in Jerusalem, right after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, does not accuse his fellow compatriots of this crime. Instead, he tells them to repent of their sin and believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah. Thus, St. Peter continues to show genuine love towards his nation (Acts 2: 2:22-24, 32, 36-39). St. Paul also, who prides to be an Israelite, emphasizes that God has not cast away His people. Rather, God loves them and His covenant with them is irrevocable. Consequently, St. Paul does the best he can to save and bless his people (Romans 11:1-2, 14, 28-29).
In conclusion, the Catholic Church must learn from these two saints to love and bless Israel. St. Peter and St. Paul certainly did so, even when this nation made mistakes. We all do. Moreover, the Church cannot forget she had no access to the holy sites in Israel when the Islamic forces ruled over Palestine. Therefore, the Catholic Church must support Israel in every possible way. The One who made an everlasting covenant with Israel will bless all those who bless Israel and stand against all those who try to harm her.
oldcreedsnewhorizons 