U.S. and world Jewish groups mourned the death on Monday of Pope Francis, 88, who was elected the first Roman Catholic pontiff from the western hemisphere in 2013. The groups largely emphasized the pope’s relationship with Jews and his opposition to antisemitism, though also gestured to his statements criticizing Israel’s prosecution of the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Francis had denounced the “cruelty” of Israeli strikes in Gaza and called for a probe of alleged “genocide” on the part of the Jewish state. He urged followers to think “of the wars, of the machine-gunned children, of the bombs on schools or hospitals.”
In what would become his last public remarks, delivered on Easter on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, he said, “I express my closeness to the sufferings of Christians in Palestine and Israel, and to all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people.”
“The growing climate of antisemitism throughout the world is worrisome. Yet at the same time, I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation,” the pope said. “I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace.”
Late last year, the Israeli Foreign Ministry accused the pope of “double standards and the singling out of the Jewish state and its people.” On Monday, the ministry stated, “Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing.”
Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, stated that he is “deeply saddened by Pope Francis’s passing on this Easter Monday.”
“He was a true pilgrim of hope and builder of peace,” the U.S. envoy said. “He embraced the forgotten, uplifted the poor and led with resolute faith and humility.”
“Pope Francis’s views on Israel, especially recently, were problematic, but I don’t think insulting the late Catholic leader is a good look for pro-Israel organizations,” David May, research manager and a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JNS.
Ronald S. Lauder, the president of World Jewish Congress, stated that people around the world mourn the death of the pope, “a true moral leader, a man of deep faith and humanity and a steadfast friend to the Jewish people,” with “great sadness.”
“From his early years in Argentina to his papacy, Pope Francis was deeply committed to fostering interfaith dialogue and ensuring that the memory of the Holocaust remained a guiding lesson for future generations,” Lauder said.
‘Unwavering dedication to meaningful engagement’
The World Jewish Congress leader stated that relations “flourished” between the WJC and the Holy See, and that the Jewish group opening an office “just steps” from St. Peter’s Basilica is “a testament to our shared commitment to dialogue, understanding and mutual respect.”
WJC also launched the initiative Kishreinu during a private audience with the pope in November 2022, “marking a new chapter in Catholic-Jewish relations and reinforcing the common future of our two peoples,” said Lauder, who first met the then-archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina in 2008.
“While there were moments of difficulty, particularly in recent months, I remain deeply appreciative of his warmth, humility and unwavering dedication to meaningful engagement between faith communities,” the WJC leader said.
“On behalf of the World Jewish Congress and the more than 100 Jewish communities around the globe, I extend my deepest condolences to all those who were touched by his remarkable spirit,” he added. “May his memory be a blessing and an inspiration to us all.”
The American Jewish Committee stated that the pope, during his decades as priest, bishop, archbishop and cardinal, “enjoyed an exemplary relationship with the Argentinian Jewish community.”
“He chose Francis as his papal name, in tribute to St. Francis of Assisi, a forerunner of the interreligious outreach which characterized Francis’s papacy,” the AJC stated.
In “continuity” with his two most recent predecessors, the pope “early on in his tenure strongly affirmed positive Catholic-Jewish relations as an integral part of the post-Vatican II Church,” according to the AJC. “Francis made pilgrimages that were substantive visuals of the new era in the Church’s understanding of Jews, Judaism and the State of Israel.”
Those included a state visit to Israel in 2014, as well as to Rome’s Great Synagogue and Auschwitz in 2016. “Pope Francis also repeatedly condemned antisemitism and characterized it as both a sin against God and unchristian,” according to the AJC, which stated that its senior leaders met “regularly” with the pontiff.
Francis told an AJC group that he had “great concern” about “an excessive and depraved hatred” spreading in parts of the world, and “I think especially of the outbreak of antisemitic attacks in various countries,” per the Jewish group.
‘Our thoughts are with our Catholic brothers and sisters’
The pope added that “for a Christian, any form of antisemitism is a rejection of one’s own origins, a complete contradiction,” per the AJC.
“While Israel’s defensive fight for survival after the horrific massacre by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, yielded both papal empathy and criticism, significant Jewish disappointments with this and other matters were navigated in the spirit of six decades of the post-Nostra Aetate relationship,” it said.
“We are grateful for Pope Francis’s indispensable leadership and contributions in this shared journey,” stated Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at AJC. “We stand in solidarity with our Catholic brothers and sisters during this time of mourning. May the memory of Pope Francis be for a blessing.”
The leadership of B’nai B’rith International extended “heartfelt condolences to Catholics worldwide on the passing of the leader of Roman Catholicism.”
“Particularly during this season of profound religious significance to both our communities, B’nai B’rith expresses sorrow over the grief of our friends and partners throughout the church,” the Jewish group stated, noting it was “privileged to be present at the installation of Francis as pontiff, and for his important visits to Israel, the United States and elsewhere.”
“We met with him on multiple occasions in private audience at the Vatican, in addition to ongoing engagement with Catholic leaders and faithful globally, and even prior to his pontificate, B’nai B’rith ceremonies to mark the Nazi Kristallnacht pogroms were hosted by him, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina,” it stated.
“Notwithstanding any religious or other differences between us, we will remember Pope Francis for his personal humility, his longstanding friendship with Jews and accessibility to Jewish leadership and his decrying of enduring antisemitism,” stated David Michaels, director of United Nations and intercommunal affairs, at B’nai B’rith.
“The Catholic-Jewish bond is singular and sacred—built in substantial part upon the Second Vatican Council document Nostra Aetate, whose 60th anniversary is marked this year—and we recommit ourselves to its vital preservation and strengthening into the coming era,” Michaels stated. “We stand with our Catholic brothers and sisters at their time of loss, and pray for solace and peace for our entire world.”
Rabbi Josh Stanton, associate vice president of interfaith and intergroup initiatives at the Jewish Federations of North America, stated that “Jewish communities will mourn the loss of Pope Francis, who leaves behind a legacy of friendship to our communities, condemned antisemitism as a ‘sin’ and reaffirmed the centrality of Nostra Aetate,” which transformed Jewish-Catholic collaboration 60 years ago.
“Our thoughts today are with our Catholic brothers and sisters, who, like Pope Francis, have stood by our side through difficult times,” he stated.
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum noted that the pope announced in 2019 that the Vatican would open the archives of Pope Pius XII “to allow for in-depth research, a decision that Holocaust scholars, experts and institutions had spent decades pursuing.”
“Opening the Vatican’s archives of Pope Pius XII is allowing historians to paint a fuller picture of the role of the Church during the persecution and systematic murder of Europe’s Jews,” stated Stuart Eizenstat, the museum chairman.
“The church, Pope Francis said when opening the archives, is ‘not afraid of history.’ We remain grateful for his courageous decision to help us understand Holocaust history and the lessons it continues to hold for us today,” Eizenstat said. “We look forward to continuing this important partnership.”
Several leaders, including the British parliamentarians Claire Hanna, Adnan Hussain, Nadia Whittome, Richard Burgon and Zarah Sultana, and the Australian politician Adam Bandt cited the pope’s advocacy for Palestinians in Gaza. The Scottish parliamentarian Humza Yousaf wrote that Francis was “a fearless humanitarian who, during his last public appearance, appealed for peace and a ceasefire in Gaza.”
“In a world that can often feel heartless, Pope Francis always had love to spare—for the less fortunate, refugee families and children in war zones, in Gaza and around the world,” wrote Queen Rania of Jordan. “Humanity has lost an invaluable champion for peace and compassion today. May he rest in peace.”
Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA commissioner-general, wrote that the pope’s “support to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages was constant and persistent.”
“His voice has contributed to draw the attention to significant dehumanization of the war in Gaza and beyond,” the U.N. official said. “Deeply grateful for his and the Holy See’s support to Palestine refugees and UNRWA.”
