‘Never react to provocations,’ Pope Francis tells Israeli musician

Asked how to avoid religion-based divisions between people, Pope Francis tells an Israeli musician to “never react” to provocations.

The pontiff was speaking to Ofir Jacoc during a Vatican meeting with international artists active on YouTube.

Jacob, who came to the meeting as a member of the Anna RF music band, asked Francis “how can the separations disappear” despite how “we as humans divide ourselves with religions.”

“You as a Jew can remember the first pages of the Bible, after the creation immediately one brother kills his brothers,” the pope said. “I was shocked by that. The Bible starts with a crime” born out of “jealousy and envy, the trend to divide,” he said. “So when provoked, you should never react. Is better to look as a fool than react when you are provoked.”

The Israeli Electro Ethnic Reggae band uploaded the fragment of its dialogue with the pope to YouTube.