Local Catholic Bishop Calls for Interfaith Solidarity After Spate of Antisemitic Incidents in Southwest Florida

Following a recent spate of antisemitic incidents across Southwest Florida, Catholic Bishop Frank J. Dewane of the Diocese of Venice issued a powerful call for interfaith solidarity and harmony, condemning Jew-hatred as “simply unacceptable.”

Reacting to the distribution in the Venice area of flyers propagating conspiracy theories about Jews, Bishop Dewane penned a July 13th letter to the editor that was published by several local newspapers.

“The Diocese of Venice has tremendous compassion and empathy for what has occurred in the history of the Jewish people and has always valued and indeed cherished its longstanding relationship with the Jewish Community,” he wrote. “An emphasis has been placed on deepening our shared roots, the teaching of tolerance in our schools and Parishes, and fostering interreligious friendships.”

“Antisemitism is simply unacceptable,” Bishop Dewane added. “It must not be tolerated. Let us work together to prevent hate in all its forms, in our words, in our deeds, and in our prayers.”

The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) thanks Bishop Dewane for standing with his Jewish neighbors as they face a threatening wave of bigotry and hopes his example will inspire other faith and civic leaders to speak out against prejudice and advocate for intercommunal understanding.