ATLANTA–Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., offered warm greetings to the Jewish community during the celebration of Hanukkah:

Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv.

“Dear Friends in the Jewish Community of Greater Atlanta,

On behalf of the Catholic faithful of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, I extend to you my warmest greetings and best wishes as you celebrate the joyful feast of Hanukkah. May the lighting of the menorah in your homes and synagogues be a source of renewed hope, consolation and blessing for your families and for all whom you serve.

Hanukkah’s proclamation of light in the midst of darkness speaks powerfully to our own time. The courage of faith, the fidelity of a people to the covenant and the triumph of hope over fear remain enduring witnesses not only for the Jewish people, but for the whole human family. In a world too often marked by conflict, misunderstanding and suffering, the light of Hanukkah reminds us that God’s faithfulness endures and that peace is possible.

At the same time, I write with a heavy heart to offer my profound condolences and spiritual solidarity in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks against Jewish communities: the violent assault at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester during the solemn observance of Yom Kippur, and the hateful attack carried out during Hanukkah in Bondi Beach, Australia. These acts of terror, directed at innocent people gathered in prayer and celebration, wound the conscience of humanity and grieve all people of faith.

As Pope Leo XIV stated in his Angelus address on Sunday, December 14, 2025, “Violence committed in the name of hatred toward the Jewish people is a sin against God and an offense against the dignity of the human family. Wherever such darkness appears, it must be named, rejected and overcome by the light of justice, memory and peace.” I join you in mourning the victims, praying for the wounded, and entrusting the dead to God’s merciful care, while renewing my resolve to stand unequivocally against antisemitism in all its forms.

Pope Leo XIV has also spoken movingly of our shared responsibility to be artisans of peace, reminding us that “peace is born when we recognize in the other not a threat, but a brother or sister created in the image of God; the light we receive is meant to be shared, never hoarded.” This conviction calls all believers to work together so that the light entrusted to us may illumine our communities and our world.

It is in this spirit that I wish to renew the Catholic Church’s commitment to friendship and dialogue with the Jewish people. I look forward with gratitude and hope to the forthcoming Commemoration of Nostra Aetate, that providential declaration of the Second Vatican Council which transformed Catholic-Jewish relations and called us to mutual respect, cooperation and a deeper appreciation of the spiritual patrimony we share. As Nostra Aetate so clearly teaches, the Church “decries hatred, persecutions, displays of antisemitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone,” and urges sincere dialogue rooted in truth and charity.

As you celebrate Hanukkah, please know of my prayers for peace–peace in the Holy Land, peace in our nation, and peace in every community where fear or division threatens the dignity of the human person. May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you with health, joy and security, and may the lights of Hanukkah inspire us all to be instruments of peace.

With esteem and fraternal respect, I wish you and your families a blessed and happy Hanukkah.”