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 anti-Semitism 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 anti-Semitism, both for the Jewish and Catholic communities. Flannery spoke in hundreds of churches, synagogues and other settings to promote an understanding of the work of the Second Vatican Council and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops concerning the Church’s bond with the Jewish people. He was also the President of the National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel, and a consultant to Secretariat of Inter-religious Affairs. His other writings include translations of French religious works and essays and articles as well as a variety of publications. Biography Early life and career Flannery was born in Providence, Rhode Island, the son of John Flannery, a police officer, and Elizabeth (née Mulvey). 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; and a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Hebrew Union College. In 1937 he was ordained, and spent most of the next 30 years in the Diocese of Providence working as a pastor and chaplain as well as writing for the diocesan newspaper. In 1967, Flannery began nine years as the first director of Catholic-Jewish Relations at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. He became Associate Director of the Institute of Judeo-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University, and Director of the Continuing Education of the Clergy for the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island. In 1976 he returned to Diocese, Rhode Island, 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 to the study of antisemitism.