Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y., called the attacks "false" and "even calumnious.”

A representative of Caritas Internationalis urged participants at the World Economic Forum not to neglect "the old, chronic problems of the world.”

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.

Brown believes the decision on abortion “should ultimately be made by the woman in consultation with her doctor.”