In our thoughts and our prayers we are with the Jewish citizens of Amsterdam

At the begin­ning of the homily during the Mass on saturdaymor­ning the 9th of no­vem­ber 2024 in the Chruch of "O.L. Vrouw koning van de Vrede"(Our Lady Queen of peace"), I expressed my sorrow at what had happened and my sympathy for the Jewish community.

The dutch bishops issued a state­ment that can be read on Reactie bis­schop­pen­con­fe­ren­tie op geweld tegen Israëlische voetbalsupporters in Am­ster­dam - Rooms-Katho­lie­ke Kerk Neder­land

During Mass, a butterfly flew around the altar. I hope that butterfly may be a sign of peace and freedom for all Am­ster­dam resi­dents and every human being

Thoughts and prayers for the Jewish community

At the begin­ning of this homily, I would like to reflect in thoughts and prayers on the events of the last few days in Am­ster­dam, which have given the Jewish community of our city a special sense of insecurity and unsafety. The war in the Middle East prompted outbreaks of violence among football supporters that have particularly affected the Jewish visitors and community. We stress that everyone in our city of Am­ster­dam should be able to live safely and in peace, and that this violence is reprehensible. May there be respect for the dignity of every human being and may everyone be able to live here in peace and safety.

I invite the city govern­ment to reflect on what happened and on what to do to contribute on a general, daily basis to safety and the general feeling of being safe and protected in a city like Am­ster­dam. Because the feeling of being not safe has increased in recent years especially among the Jewish population.