Catholics and Antisemitism—Facing the Past, Shaping the Future III

Part three of a series on the Catholics and Antisemitism Conference. Read coverage of the beginning of the conference here and part two here.

The third panel at the Catholic Information Center’s Catholics and Antisemitism conference was titled “How to Respond to Rising Rates of Catholic Antisemitism.” It featured Maggie Phillips of Tablet Magazine, Kathryn Lopez of National Review, and Philos Project’s Phil Dolitsky and James O’Reilly.

Phillips opened the discussion with her thoughts on Christians’ obligations to combat antisemitism and how best to fulfill this obligation. She then provided practical advice on the parish level on how best to root out antisemitism. Phillips recommended parents and families be vigilant as to what sorts of content they allow into their homes and encouraged acts of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus against ethnic and religious hatred. She pointed out that most lay Catholics are not antisemites but may simply lack vigilance on the provenance of their opinions.

Phillips ended her remarks with an invective for Catholics to truly live as if Jesus is real. The lack of attention to Jews in Catholic catechesis, Phillips argued, is a “command emphasis issue,” where priorities have been misplaced. Catholics have often been ignorant of their circle of concern, including regarding their Jewish brothers and sisters. To correct this, Phillips encouraged Catholics to include Jews in their “circle of concern” by attending Shabbat services, checking in on Jewish friends, and ensuring antisemitism is not at home in the Church.

Lopez followed with her testimony of participating in a previous conference at Franciscan University titled “Nostra Aetate and the Future of Catholic-Jewish Relations at a Time of Rising Antisemitism,” held just after October 7 but planned well in advance. She shared her conversations with everyday Jewish Americans on Amtrak and rabbis at the conference as sharing the same character: a sense of gratitude. Lopez underscored the horror she felt at the way Eli Sharabi, the Bibas family, and other victims of terrorism in Israel were treated in the media and the public and communicated her desire to do something.

Following Phillips, Lopez, too, offered prayer as a means for Catholics to combat antisemitism. Antisemitism is a disease of the soul, and prayer, in Lopez’s experience, is an effective tool to help repair the frayed relations Catholics have with their Jewish brethren. She shared her experience organizing a prayer hour with the Franciscans in Washington, D.C., inspired by her frustration with the lack of action from the Catholic community and creating a coalition of faithful Catholics concerned about anti-Jewish sentiment. Lopez closed with a general principle: if you do not know how to organize a march or protest, the best thing any Catholic can do is pray.

O’Reilly, who comes from a traditional Catholic background, spoke on his involvement with the Philos Project. He focused his comments on his own philosemitism as an entry point into advocacy. Interested in the Jewish roots of faith, O’Reilly articulated that a solely historical study is insufficient; a continuing knowledge of the Jewish tradition is necessary to live out Christianity’s Jewish heritage fully.

Dolitsky spoke on his relationships with Catholics through Philos and how these relationships can form a basis of union for Catholics and Jews. Dolitsky noted that his Catholic friends have been incredibly supportive of him and his family after October 7. Although these Catholics have not been adamant about Dolitsky’s conversion to Christ, Dolitsky believes that they have lived out their Christian witness by being true friends of Jews at a time of need.

Dolitsky also identified the positive fruits of his relationships with Catholics for both parties beyond human friendship. Catholics and Jews, despite a common heritage, have fundamentally different worldviews, daily lives, and organizing principles. Through friendship, Catholics and Jews mutually enrich each other’s understanding of their own faith communities by virtue of this comparison.

Phillips echoed Dolitsky’s point, urging Catholics not to view Jewish spaces as “field trip” destinations but as sites of human connection. Lopez agreed, offering the Holy Land as a model of unity in practice, where Jews, Muslims, and Christians pray in shared spaces together. The panel closed on this ecumenical note.

In bringing together voices from journalism, advocacy, and lived interfaith experience, the Catholic Information Center and the Philos Project offered not only a sobering assessment of Catholic antisemitism but also a clear, actionable path forward rooted in prayer and fidelity to the Christian tradition. This conference, and its antecedents at Franciscan and elsewhere, offer hope for future dialogue to improve the Church’s witness against anti-Jewish hatred.

More from IRD:

Catholics and Antisemitism—Is It Still a Problem?

Catholics and Antisemitism—Facing the Past, Shaping the Future, Part II

How Can Christians and Jews Respond to Rising Antisemitism?