(VATICAN CITY) — Cardinal Robert W. McElroy issued the following statement from Rome, where he is attending a meeting of the Synod on Synodality in Vatican City:

“The heinous attack upon Israel by Hamas shocks the conscience of the Catholic community of San Diego and Imperial Counties must be repudiated by all. We join in prayer with the people of Israel and our own Jewish community for the consolation of the victims and their families and the immediate release of the hostages.

“As war escalates in the Middle East, we pray also for the civilian population of Gaza, which is suffering immensely from the siege being levied upon them. A second humanitarian disaster will only compound the cycle of violence that is the scourge of our world.

“The Church in Jerusalem has asked Catholics around the world to pray next Tuesday that peace will return to the region where our Lord walked the earth and called upon us all to love one another. I ask our parishes and parishioners to remember this urgent priority in prayer on that day.”