THE Archbishop of Sydney, the Most Revd Kanishka Raffel, has issued a statement embracing “Jewish neighbours and fellow citizens in love, friendship, and support” in the aftermath of what he described as the “horrific terrorist attack on Sydney’s Jewish community” at Bondi Beach.
Fifteen people celebrating the first night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah were killed in the attack on Sunday. Many more, including two police officers, were wounded when two gunmen opened fire on the crowd. One suspect was killed; the second, his son, is in hospital under police guard. Investigation is continuing, but the attack has been declared a terrorist incident.
Archbishop Raffel said: “We pray to the God of all comfort and the Father of compassion, for the safety and protection of the Jewish community. We pray for those grieving the tragic loss of loved ones, those injured or traumatised, for the police and medical workers, and for our government and security agencies as they respond.”
As Christians prepare for Christmas, he said, “We give thanks that Jesus, a Jewish man, came into our world of sorrow and sin, to bring the light of life, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
The recently installed Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Ric Thorpe, posted on X that he was “deeply saddened by the appalling violence and terrorism at Bondi Beach”, calling it a “profound evil”.
In a statement published on Monday, the Archbishop of Brisbane, the Rt Revd Jeremy Greaves, said that he “unequivocally condemns this antisemitic attack, and all antisemitism, which is a sin against our neighbor and an assault on human dignity”.
The Revd Martin Morgan, the Rector of Bondi Anglican Church — which is close to the beach — said that, as his congregation was leaving church, having just prayed for Jewish people as they celebrated Hanukkah, they saw people running past. Some saw what had happened. The congregation went back into the church for safety, and prayed for up to 40 minutes until it was safe to leave.
Mr Morgan said: “The Semitic, anti-Jewish religious hatred is something we’ve noticed after the last few years in Bondi and . . . we’re just praying that the Lord will not allow this hatred to grow and that we can shine as a light, as an individual congregation, as a group of churches in the parish, but also with other churches around about.”
St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, has issued five prayers — for the bereaved and injured, for the first responders, for the community around Bondi Beach, for the wider community of Sydney, and for the coming of God’s Kingdom — for use by churches, Bible-study groups, and individuals.
The Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, posted on X: “Once again, Jews have been targeted for the crime of gathering together proudly as Jews and it is hard to find the words to adequately express our pain.”
The Pope sent a telegram to the RC Archbishop of Sydney, the Most Revd Anthony Fisher OP, offering his condolences and assuring him of his prayers. He expressed his hope that “those tempted to violence will undergo conversion and seek the path of peace.”
The Archbishop of York said on X that he was “shocked and horrified” by the shooting. “I am praying for my Jewish brothers and sisters throughout the world and especially those who have lost loved ones in Australia today.”
The attack was also condemned by the Anglican Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd John McDowell. His thoughts and prayers, and those of people in Ireland, were with the victims and their families, he said. He warned of the “creeping anti-Semitism which plagues so many parts of the world”.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) described the attack as “a profoundly troubling act of violence” that undermines “fundamental principles of human dignity, religious freedom, and social cohesion”.
The mass shooting comes almost 30 years since Australia’s last mass shooting, in April 1996, when a lone gunman killed 35 people at the Port Arthur tourist site in Tasmania. There was no known religious or ideological motive for that attack.
Australia’s gun laws were significantly tightened in the aftermath, but recent reports of growing gun ownership have sparked calls for the law to be tightened further. The suspect who died held a licence for six firearms.
This story was updated on 16 December.