Meeting Jewish leaders, Pope Leo acknowledges challenges, reaffirms dialogue
‘Because of the Jewish roots of Christianity, all Christians have a special relationship with Judaism,’ the pope says, addressing religious leaders at the Vatican
Rossella Tercatin is The Times of Israel's archaeology and religions reporter.
Pope Leo XIV said Monday that Jewish-Christian dialogue must continue even when facing challenges and disagreements, during a special audience at the Vatican with religious representatives, including rabbis and Jewish lay leaders.
“Because of the Jewish roots of Christianity, all Christians have a special relationship with Judaism,” the pope said. “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.”
Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, drew criticism from Jewish and Israeli leaders following his response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught and the subsequent war, as he was seen as inclined to equate the terror group’s attack with Israel’s military response, and as not sympathetic enough toward Jewish suffering.
Following Francis’s footsteps, Leo has been putting peace at the center of his public message.
During his first mass on May 11, the new pope called for both a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages, but at his inauguration on Sunday, as he invited the public not to forget war zones, he spoke about people in Gaza “reduced to starvation” without mentioning the hostages.
There are still 58 hostages in the Strip, 23 of whom are believed by Israel to be alive.
Among the Jewish leaders who met with the pope were representatives of the American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith International, and the Conference of European Rabbis.
“The Jewish representatives were the first ones who had the opportunity to speak with the pope, after other Christian leaders,” David Michaels, director of UN and Intercommunal Affairs at B’nai B’rith International, told The Times of Israel.
Michaels said that he spent a few minutes with the pope, taking advantage of the opportunity to speak to him in English (Leo is the first American pope in history).
“I told him how important the Catholic-Jewish relationship is to us,” Michaels recalled. “I added that we join him in wanting to promote peace, not only in the Middle East, but everywhere. But I also expressed our hope that he will help deepen understanding and empathy also for the people of Israel.”
Michaels explained to Leo that many Israelis and Jews feel isolated and marginalized.
“The pope acknowledged this,” Michaels said. “He acknowledged what a difficult period it has been. I sensed sincerity.”
According to Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee, the willingness of the pope to recognize the nature of the current period was a positive sign.
“Acknowledging that there are challenges in the first meeting of this kind shows a certain commitment,” he told The Times of Israel. “It’s an avoidance of obfuscation that is mature.”
The Jewish delegation also included several leaders of the Italian Jewish community, including the president of the Jewish Community of Rome Victor Fadlun, Chief Rabbi of Rome Riccardo Di Segni, and the vice president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, Milo Hasbani.
“I gave the pope my best wishes for his work and told him that we need to mend our relationship, and he responded positively,” Di Segni told The Times of Israel.
With previous popes, in the months following their election, representatives of the Roman Jewish community were invited to a private audience. Di Segni expects the same to happen with Leo, but he said it will take some time.
Michaels and Marans also emphasized that the journey of dialogue with Leo is only at the beginning.
According to Michaels, to advance the agenda of Jewish-Catholic dialogue, it is crucial not only to work at the centralized level, but also with local Catholic leaders.
“These teachings have to be spread to every parish and every pew, and we have to make sure that the message is getting across also in regions of the world that don’t have large Jewish communities and little if any, direct experience of the difficult Christian-Jewish history,” he said.
Michaels highlighted that laying the groundwork for a generation of Catholic leaders who might be less sensitive to Jewish ties was essential.
“In this pope, we have someone from the United States and of a generation and a background that I think it’s safe to say is sensitive to the importance of everything that came out of the Second Vatican Council,” he noted, referring to the 1962-1965 council that dramatically improved relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish community.
“Now we have to take the opportunity to prepare ourselves for the next pope and the next era, which may be centered even more in Africa, in Asia and other parts of the world, where there isn’t as much focus placed on the Holocaust or on the difficult history of persecution,” Michaels added.
In his address, Leo invited his fellow religious leaders to work together toward peace.
Pope Leo XIV holds a special audience for ecumenical and interreligious delegations who took part in the Solemn Mass for the Inauguration of his Petrine Ministry.
In his address, the Holy Father highlighted Pope Francis’ emphasis on universal fraternity.
Pope Francis “promoted… pic.twitter.com/ljRujqoFVn
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 19, 2025
“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,” the pope said.
“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 added.
The Times of Israel Community.