The Catholic Church’s head, Pope Francis, has sparked outrage among the world’s most prominent rabbis, stoking tensions with the Jewish community not seen since the Holocaust.
Pope Francis’ apparent support for Hamas in Gaza drew ire following a phone conversation with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog. The conversation allegedly included the pope telling Herzog that responding to terror with terror is forbidden, seen as a clear rebuke to Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
The pope made further remarks after reports of the deaths of two Christian women near a Gaza church complex, originating from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem blaming the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). However, the IDF refuted this accusation, including a review of the incident and evidence of Hamas fire nearby at that time. Despite this, the pope placed blame solely on the Jewish state, stating “It is war. It is terrorism” during a weekly blessing.
Israel’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi, David Lau, and South Africa’s Rabbi Warren Goldstein issued lengthy rebukes following the pope’s comments. As there is no counterpart to the position of pope in Judaism, chief rabbis representing major Jewish communities are among the most prominent leaders of the faith. Rabbi Lau spoke out against the pope, requesting a change to his claim and stating that the description of the incident was “incorrect and even outrageous,” in a letter dated December 20.
The pope’s comments have further stoked tensions between the Catholic Church and the Jewish community, with many finding the remarks outrageous and ungrounded. The Catholic Church’s previous reluctance to face Pope Pius XII’s response and the Holocaust has led to a contentious relationship with the Jewish community. The pope’s latest remarks are seen by many as a continuation of that strained relationship, with some believing it casts a shadow on the entire Catholic Church.
The rift between the Catholic Church and the Jewish community has drawn international attention, with many demanding that the pope retract and clarify his comments.