Meeting European rabbis, Pope Francis condemns antisemitism, war and terror

Pope Francis meets with European rabbis and decries antisemitism, war and terrorism in a written speech he declines to read, saying he isn’t feeling well.

Francis says in his prepared speech that his first thought and prayers goes “above all else, to everything that has happened in the last few weeks,” a clear reference to the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, including the taking of hostages to the Gaza Strip, and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war.

“Yet again violence and war have erupted in that Land blessed by the Most High, which seems continually assailed by the vileness of hatred and the deadly clash of weapons,” Francis writes in the speech.

With France, Austria and Italy among the countries in Europe recently seeing a spate of antisemitic vandalism and slogans, Francis adds, “The spread of antisemitic demonstrations, which I strongly condemn, is also of great concern.”

The pontiff says believers in God are called to build “fraternity and open paths of reconciliation for all.”