Edward Flannery

Edward H. Flannery (August 20, 1912 – October 19, 1998) was an American priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, and the author of The Anguish of the Jews: Twenty-Three Centuries of Antisemitism, first published in 1965.

Fr. Flannery was the first director of Catholic-Jewish Relations for the U.S. Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, a position he held from 1967 to 1976.

Throughout his career, he fought against antisemitism and defended the State of Israel and the Jewish people against attacks on the local, national, and international levels. Through his work, he displayed great sensitivity to issues of the Holocaust and strong promotion of education of the history of antisemitism for both the Jewish and Catholic communities.

He studied at St. Charles College in Catonsville, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree at St. Sulpice Seminary near Paris. He then earned his master's degree at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

In 1976, he returned to Providence and was concerned with the continuing education of the diocesan clergy and with Catholic-Jewish relations.

On October 19, 1998, Flannery died of pancreatic cancer.

Work and views

Flannery devoted his life to the reconciliation of Christians and Jews and the study of antisemitism.

In his book, The Anguish of the Jews: Twenty-Three Centuries of Antisemitism, he provided a thorough account of the history of the world's persecution of the Jews, without dwelling on the lurid details of the atrocities. He covers Pagan antisemitism in the ancient world; the struggles between Judaism and the early church; Christian antisemitism in the Middle Ages in the various countries of Europe; the age of the ghetto; the rise of scapegoat antisemitism in the modern, post-religious world (particularly in Russia) associated with Nazi paganism and the Holocaust; as well as antisemitism in America. In the end, Flannery reviews how things stand today (i.e., at the book's publication).

Flannery was awarded honorary doctorates from several institutions, including Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, and Seton Hall University. He received the prestigious Nicholas and Hedy Munk International Brotherhood Award of the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews and many other signs of esteem from Christian and Jewish Organizations.

Speaking at a 1987 Mass of Thanksgiving in honor of the 50th year of Flannery's ordained ministry, Msgr. George G. Higgins of the Department of Theology of the Catholic University of America said Flannery had been called by God to break new ground; "to address the anguish of the Jews and this, of course, long before the overwhelming majority of his fellow Christians had given so much as a second thought to the Holocaust." Cardinal William Henry Keeler said: "He was an early and effective pioneer in encouraging Catholics in the United States on how best to implement Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council's charter for fostering positive Catholic-Jewish relationships."

Rabbi A. James Rudin, National Interreligious Affairs Director of the American Jewish Committee (who termed Flannery "one of this century's spiritual giants"), said "during Father Flannery's long and distinguished career, he helped build human bridges of mutual respect and understanding between Roman Catholics and Jews. His advice and guidance were always treasured and his articulate voice and writings stirred both Catholics and Jews. The AJC has lost a beloved colleague and friend. He shattered negative caricatures and stereotypes that had existed for centuries. Father Flannery was an unrelenting foe of all forms of anti-Semitism and was a strong supporter of the State of Israel."