Thanks to Pontifications blogger, David Gibson, for engaging in one of the more interesting Catholic-Jewish conversations in which I have participated in some time. His recent post about Catholics, Jews and events in Gaza pointed me to the work by John L Allen of the National Catholic Reporter. I can not thank him enough.

In the piece, Allen quotes the sage comments of Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi. Speaking on Vatican Radio, the Vatican spokesman remarked: “Hamas is a prisoner of a logic of hatred,” Lombardi said, “Israel of a logic of trusting in force as the best response to hatred.”

One could argue each of those claims, I suppose. In fact, I can imagine the advocates for each side in this conflict already gearing up to do so. But regardless of which side one supports, I am quite certain that we all could learn from reflecting seriously on Fr. Lombardi’s words. Catholic or not, pro-Israel or pro-Hamas, he could teach us all a thing or two.