Manchester: Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has expressed his deep sorrow and outrage following the terror attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, describing the assault as an act of “utter hatred” that “shocks me to the core.”
The attack, which took place during Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, claimed the lives of two worshippers and left several others injured. Witnesses reported that the assailant also attempted to drive a car into a crowd gathered outside the synagogue, heightening the horror of the tragedy.
In a statement released on Thursday, Cardinal Nichols strongly condemned the attack and offered prayers for the victims, their families, and the wider Jewish community.
“The killing of two Jewish worshippers, the injuries inflicted on others, and the attempt to drive a car into a crowd in Manchester today are expressions of utter hatred that must not be tolerated in this land,” he said. “That such an attack is directed at the Jewish community, and on Yom Kippur, this most solemn of days, shocks me to the core.”
The Cardinal emphasized the deep bonds uniting Christians and Jews, recalling the Catholic understanding of Jews as “elder brothers in faith.”
“Jewish and Christian people are closely bound together in our common faith in God,” he stated. “Indeed, in the Catholic tradition, Jewish people are held to be the ‘elder brothers’ in faith of our Christian family.”
Cardinal Nichols underscored the collective responsibility to resist hatred and build a society rooted in respect and peace.
“My prayers, and those of the Catholic community, are heartfelt and profound for those who have died, the bereaved, the injured, and those who will feel less safe tonight,” he said. “It is a duty of us all to work together to ensure a more cohesive and respectful society, one in which such violence and inhumanity have no place.”
The condemnation was echoed by local church leaders. Bishop John Arnold of Salford, whose diocese covers Manchester, expressed his solidarity with the Jewish community, calling for renewed efforts to combat hatred and division. Bishop Patrick McKinney of Nottingham, Lead Bishop for Interreligious Dialogue, also denounced the attack, urging Christians and Jews alike to strengthen bonds of friendship and prayer in the face of violence.
The attack has sparked widespread grief and condemnation across the United Kingdom, with faith leaders, political figures, and community organizations calling for vigilance against rising antisemitism and extremist violence.
As the Jewish community in Manchester mourns the victims of the Yom Kippur tragedy, Cardinal Nichols’ words reflect a broader determination among religious leaders to affirm unity, solidarity, and peace against the destructive force of hatred.
“This is a wound not only on the Jewish community,” the Cardinal concluded, “but on the entire fabric of our society. We must show, through words and deeds, that there is no place for such violence in our common home.”