Among the statements issued by Princeton campus organizations in the wake of the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, was the following declaration by Fr. Zachary Swantek on behalf of the University’s Catholic community:
“The Aquinas Institute, Princeton University’s center for Catholic life, stands in prayerful solidarity with the Jewish people — our ‘elder brothers in faith,‘ to quote Pope Saint John Paul II — at this time of loss and grieving. The Catholic community was shocked and appalled by the barbaric terrorist attacks on innocent Jews, including defenseless children and elderly people, in Israel. These attacks — including murders, rapes, and kidnappings — were timed to occur on the Sabbath and on the holiday of Simchat Torah when the Jewish people, whom we Catholics recognize in our Easter liturgy as ‘first to hear the Word of God,’ remember the giving of the Torah to their ancestors. We offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their families and we wish particularly to assure our local Jewish community here in Princeton of our fervent prayers and support.”