Leo tells Jewish leaders ‘dialogue must continue’ amid interreligious conflict

Meeting with religious leaders in a special audience in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV says that Jewish-Christian dialogue must continue even in times of conflicts and misunderstandings.

“Because of the Jewish roots of Christianity, all Christians have a special relationship with Judaism,” says the newly installed pontiff. “The theological dialogue between Christians and Jews remains ever important and close to my heart. Even in these difficult times, marked by conflicts and misunderstandings, it is necessary to continue the momentum of this precious dialogue of ours.”

Among the Jewish leaders who meet with the pope are representatives of the American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith International, the Conference of European Rabbis, and the Jewish Community of Rome.

Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, drew criticism from Jewish and Israeli leaders following his response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack and the subsequent war.

Leo also explicitly addresses Christian-Muslim dialogue in his remarks.

“Relations between the Catholic Church and Muslims have been marked by a growing commitment to dialogue and fraternity, fostered by esteem for these our brothers and sisters who ‘worship God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has also spoken to humanity,'” he says, quoting Francis’ 2019 Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.

“This approach, based on mutual respect and freedom of conscience, is a solid foundation for building bridges between our communities,” he adds.

Following his predecessor’s footsteps, Leo has been putting peace at the center of his public messaging, a theme he reiterates with the religious leaders.

“In a world wounded by violence and conflict, each of the communities represented here brings its own contribution of wisdom, compassion, and commitment to the good of humanity and the preservation of our common home,” he says.

“I am convinced that if we are in agreement, and free from ideological and political conditioning, we can be effective in saying ‘no’ to war and ‘yes’ to peace, ‘no’ to the arms race and ‘yes’ to disarmament, ‘no’ to an economy that impoverishes peoples and the Earth and ‘yes’ to integral development,” he adds.