While the members say they understand the threats posed to Israel by Hamas, they argue against the "de facto collective punishment" of the Palestinian residents of Gaza.

"As a theologian and apologist, the archbishop has heightened readers’ receptivity to transcendence and opened their minds to revelation,” Father Drew Christiansen said.

After a year of public clashes between bishops and some Catholic colleges, Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick urged university presidents to forge stronger relationships with their local bishops.

Authorities raised their estimates of the number of dead to 200,000, and more than 1.5 million are now homeless.

The designation will continue for the next 18 months, and people may apply immediately.

The massive amount of aid pouring into the country is dwarfed by the overwhelming needs of people who lost their homes, families, jobs and possessions.