Friends,
Janice and I were there that very cold November evening outside the US Bishops Conference. We were imploring the clerics to call out genocide in Gaza. We would find out a day or two later that as Susan points out as an institution of justice and faith the cowardly bishops looked away. Kagiso, Max
Silence in the Face of Genocide: When Institutions of Justice and Faith Look Away
DECEMBER 6, 2025
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, January/February 2026, pp. 82-83 -- Special Report
By Susan Kerin
ACROSS THE U.S., many associations and faith groups that once called themselves voices for justice and peace are now facing a moral crisis. As Gaza suffers an ongoing genocide—with thousands of civilians killed, homes destroyed and families displaced—many of these same organizations have stayed silent. Their silence amounts to approval of the violence and raises urgent questions about what these institutions really stand for when it matters most.
Two examples stand out: the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Both have long claimed to defend human dignity and social justice, yet when faced with one of the greatest humanitarian emergencies of our time, they have failed to speak out.
THE APHA: PUNISHING A LEADER FOR SPEAKING OUT
Amy Hagopian, a longtime public health advocate and chair of APHA’s International Section, recently became the center of a controversy that has raised serious questions about the association’s commitment to global justice. In 2023, Hagopian helped write and pass a simple one-sentence resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution passed overwhelmingly, with 90 percent of APHA’s Governing Council in favor. But soon after, APHA leadership overturned it.
Many members were outraged. They held a silent protest, walking around the conference’s exhibit hall in response. The situation escalated further when APHA held a closed-door hearing and expelled Hagopian from the association in October 2025.
At this year’s conference, in Washington, DC, from Nov. 2-5, about 50 members walked out of the opening session in protest. Others wore keffiyehs and badge ribbons that read “Reinstate Amy” and “Free Palestine.” Hagopian herself stood outside the convention center, handing out flyers and talking with supporters. Speaking at an outdoor rally, she said, “I saw APHA as my home,” reflecting on the deep disappointment of being pushed out by an organization she had long supported for simply calling for peace.
THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS: SILENCE FROM THE PULPIT
Faith institutions, too, have been scrutinized for their muted responses to the crisis in Gaza. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has long presented itself as a moral compass for American Catholics, has remained largely silent even as reports of mass killings, starvation and attacks on civilians have mounted. This silence is especially stark in light of Catholic social teaching, which emphasizes the inherent dignity of every human life and the Church’s historical opposition to genocide and systemic violence.
In response, a coalition of Catholics and allies organized a public protest in Baltimore. Christians for a Free Palestine—Catholic Caucus, in collaboration with Baltimore Rapid Response Choir and Veterans for Peace, staged a rally during the bishops’ cocktail hour outside the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront on Nov. 11, calling for moral clarity and action. The demonstration featured prayer, witness and pointed appeals to church leaders to speak out against the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.
Jessica Sun, a leader within Pax Christi USA’s Young Adult Caucus, highlighted the moral urgency of the moment: “The Church cannot claim to be pro-life while ignoring a campaign of mass killing. The Gospel compels us to stand with the crucified people of Gaza.”
Badre Rachidi of Christians for a Free Palestine stressed that vague calls for “peace on both sides” are insufficient. “We do not need more statements about ‘peace on both sides’—we need solidarity and moral clarity. The bishops’ silence gives cover to genocide. Their voice could help save lives.”
Veterans for Peace, represented by Ellen Barfield of the Baltimore Phil Berrigan Chapter, also underscored the moral stakes: “As veterans who have witnessed the human toll of war, we cannot stay silent while our government arms and funds the destruction of Gaza. If the Church cannot speak when children are being starved and bombed, then when will it speak?”
SILENCE AS A PATTERN
What happened at APHA and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops isn’t unique. It’s part of a larger pattern of institutions staying quiet when faced with moral crises. Professional groups, faith communities and advocacy organizations often worry about rules, politics, or upsetting donors and members. Those concerns might seem reasonable, but they become dangerous when they stop people from speaking out against clear injustice.
When institutions stay silent, the harm goes beyond words. Silence in the face of violence and suffering tells both victims and perpetrators that accountability doesn’t matter. It lets injustice continue and weakens public trust in groups that claim to stand for ethics and human rights.
In both of these cases, ordinary members and grassroots activists have tried to fill the gap left by leadership. At APHA, members organized visible protests and stood by Amy Hagopian. In the Catholic community, small groups have gathered to pray, march and demand that church leaders take a stand. Their actions show that even when institutions fail, individuals can still lead with courage and conscience.
Susan Kerin is chair of Peace Action Montgomery, a chapter of Peace Action, the nation’s largest peace organization.
Washington, DC| Gaza| January/February 2026 Digital Issue
Donations can be sent
to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206,
Baltimore, MD 21212. Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at]
comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class
has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles.
The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject
class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their
lives." Eugene Victor Debs
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