WORLD 25/12/03 San Jose bishop denounces 'human swastika' at local high school

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Bishop Oscar Cantú slams 'murderous ideology,' expressing solidarity with Jewish communities

Oscar Cantú Bishop of San José in California. (Photo: Youtube)

By OSV News

Published: December 13, 2025 05:36 AM GMT

Updated: December 13, 2025 05:40 AM GMT

Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose expressed on behalf of Catholic faithful "solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters" and called for prayers, following a recent antisemitic display at a local high school.

On Dec. 3, a photo emerged on social media showing eight teens forming a "human swastika" on the football field at Branham High School in San Jose.

The image — posted to an Instagram account bearing the first and last name of a Branham student — was captioned with an antisemitic quote from Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, according to a Dec. 5 article by The Jewish News of Northern California, which was the first outlet to report the incident.

In his statement, issued Dec. 11 and posted to the diocesan website, Bishop Cantú said he was "deeply saddened and disturbed" to learn of the incident.

"The swastika is not a joke or a harmless symbol; it represents a murderous ideology that sought to exterminate the Jewish people and caused unspeakable suffering to millions," said Bishop Cantú.

"To invoke this symbol today, especially in a school setting, wounds our Jewish neighbors and reopens painful historical trauma," he added.