Commentary: A Jewish appreciation of Pope Francis
This is who was elected pope. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio attended Rosh Hashanah services at the Benei Tikva synagogue in September 2007. Bergoglio told the congregation that he was there 'like a pilgrim, together with you, my elder brothers.'
In 2010, Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Bergoglio began memorializing their two decades of conversation in a book. Friends since 1990, the two had much to share. In the introduction to the book they co-wrote, 'On Heaven and Earth,' Francis described their friendship: 'With Rabbi Skorka I never had to compromise my Catholic identity, just like he never had to with his Jewish identity.'
The Jewish people have good memories of Francis. One of the gestures of Francis' friendship with the Jewish people came early in his papacy. In 2013, in a letter to journalist Eugenio Scalfari in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Francis responded to the question: 'What should we say to our Jewish brothers about the promise made to them by God: Has it all come to nothing?'
'This question, believe me, is a radical one for us Christians because with the help of God, especially in the light of the Second Vatican Council, we have rediscovered that the Jewish people remain for us the holy root from which Jesus was born. I too have cultivated many friendships through the years with my Jewish brothers in Argentina and often while in prayer, as my mind turned to the terrible experience of the Shoah, I looked to God,' he wrote.
'God has never neglected his faithfulness to the covenant with Israel, and that, through the awful trials of these last centuries, the Jews have preserved their faith in God. And for this, we, the Church and the whole human family, can never be sufficiently grateful to them.'
As the Germans murdered 6 million Jews, most of Christendom collaborated actively or passively with Nazism. In that time, the Jewish people gave witness to the one God. We alone were the sole sacred witness to the one God. Francis deepened that because he did not limit admiration and respect for Jewish witness to the period of the Shoah.
He refers to 'the terrible trials of these centuries' in which 'the Jews have kept their faith in God.' He refers to the torment inflicted upon us by the Catholic Church and the Reformation churches throughout the ages. He affirms that the church and all of humanity will 'never be sufficiently grateful to them.' The pope affirms that Israel provided unique witness to the one God; that this unique witness came despite all the torment; and that Israel's faithfulness to the one God is a gift both to the church and to humanity. This is a remarkable affirmation of Judaism and the Jewish people.
People do not often pay enough attention to performance theology. Instead of issuing formal statements and teachings in well-reasoned theological papers, occasionally a pope will act out, will express in behavior, a religious idea.
In an act of performance theology while in Israel in 2014, Francis visited the grave of Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism, the Jewish national liberation movement.
The honor paid to Herzl at his last resting place is compelling. One hundred and 10 years earlier, on Jan. 26, 1904, Herzl had an audience with Pope Pius X. Herzl sought the pope's support for Zionism. The pope replied, 'We cannot give approval to this movement. We cannot prevent the Jews from going to Jerusalem — but we could never sanction it. The soil of Jerusalem … has been sanctified by the life of Jesus Christ. As the Head of the Church, I cannot tell you anything different. The Jews have not recognized our Lord, therefore we cannot recognize the Jewish people.'
Pius X established what was the popular and official Christian attitude to Zionism and the establishment of the state of Israel. Christian theology has had a difficult time accounting for the Jewish return to the ancient homeland.
Francis' act of honor and respect to Herzl and to Zionism demonstrated that the Roman Catholic Church no longer holds any theological objection to the Jewish return to sovereignty in the ancient homeland.
In every relationship, there are disappointments. It is because of Francis' friendship extended to the Jewish people that several of his statements on Israel's war to prevent Hamas from annihilating Israel were received with pain.
The Jewish people will remember that as the sun set on Passover, Francis departed this life. He left behind the great Passover legacy, to ever seek freedom from slavery; to ever fulfill the mitzvah (commandment) to take care of the poor and the stranger.
In these days following his passing, we know that his abiding friendship for us will never be forgotten. Judaism holds that good deeds will ever endure. This is his gift and legacy.
____
Rabbi Yehiel Poupko is a Rabbinic scholar at the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago
___
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Ex-AOC youth organizer Iman Abdul busted for urging 'attack' on Jewish students 'grew up in a mansion,' classmate says
The self-described 'youth organizer' for 'Squad' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who allegedly urged a hate-filled 'attack' on Jewish students at a Brooklyn public high school, was herself a graduate of the school and a popular teen who was voted 'biggest flirt,' a classmate told The Post. She was one of the popular students and definitely had a good time there,' Alina Bernstern said of Iman Abdul, a fellow 2016 alum of Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences in Manhattan Beach, adding that Abdul took part in the school's annual SING! musical show and 'grew up in a mansion.' 'She didn't show any kind of radical tendencies back then,' recalled Bernstein, who took an elective on social justice with Abdul. Advertisement 3 A former classmate said Abdul was a popular student at Leon Goldstein HS — which she identified in a social media post as 'a public school in NYC to attack for whatever reason.' Obtained by the NY Post 'Fear is stupid, so is regret,' reads a quote, attributed to Marilyn Monroe, under Abdul's yearbook photo. Abdul, 27, went on to become the 'face of youth organization' and volunteered on AOC's successful 2018 congressional campaign, Bernstein said. Advertisement A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) insisted to Fox News that Abdul was never 'staff.' 'Their comments are appalling and we condemn threats of violence without hesitation,' the spokesperson said. Abdul said in a 2019 interview she worked as a youth organizer for the socialist pol, but the web page with the article was deleted after her arrest. But critics note that the congresswoman, who has an audience of 9.4 million on Instagram, included Abdul among the 3,126 accounts she followed. 'I think it proves that she was part of AOC's campaign or knew her in some way,' Bernstein said. Advertisement 3 Abdul was named as the school's 'biggest flirt,' the yearbook shows. Obtained by the NY Post Abdul is accused of posting a screenshot of the location of Goldstein HS on Google Maps. The caption: 'If anyone needs a public school in NYC to attack for whatever reason … Lexus driving Israhell (sic) loving Zionisits (sic) all attend here.' 'That made me laugh,' said Bernstein, who is Jewish, 'because she grew up in a mansion, having more money than most of the Jews in our school, and drove a Range Rover.' In Instragam posts added by Abdul, she called Bernstein 'a Zionist bitch,' adding, 'Zio girls always be the most p—y' Advertisement The NYPD arrested Abdul on Aug. 9, a day after her post appeared, charging her with making a terroristic threat, acting in a manner injurious to a child, aggravated harassment, and making a threat of mass harm. 3 Abdul, whose social media post sparked her arrest on a charge of making a terroristic threat, quickly hired a high-profile criminal defense attorney. Obtained by the NY Post She was released without bail and set to face the charges on Nov. 19. Abdul immediately hired criminal defense attorney, Geoffrey St. Andrew Stewart. He is the son of the late Lynne Stewart, an infamous lawyer convicted and imprisoned for helping client Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, an Egyptian terrorist, communicate with his followers. 'It is alarming that Iman Abdul has retained a high-profile attorney associated with someone who defended individuals accused of terrorism,' said Matthew Spern, president of United Jewish Teachers. 'The fact that she is out on no bail until November should be a significant concern for all New Yorkers.' Stewart did not return messages seeking comment. Advertisement Abdul, who could not be reached for comment, worked as a director of the AM:PM Gallery in Brooklyn. The gallery did not return a message about Abdul's employment. Representatives of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez did not respond to requests for comment.

USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
I'm Israeli. The world must stop our government's genocide in Gaza while we still can.
Knowing my own society is committing these crimes has shattered everything I thought I knew about myself, about my country, about humanity. The international community has failed us all. A few years ago, at a meeting of Israeli and Palestinian peace activists, we sat on the grass trying to brainstorm new initiatives. Some Palestinians I had just met proposed, sarcastically, to form a Palestinian 'reservation' that would preserve their culture, along the lines of Indigenous reservations in North America. As a Jewish Israeli who hadn't fully grasped the depth of injustice baked into Zionism's premise of Jewish supremacy, I was horrified. I couldn't believe their imagination had taken them so far. Now, looking back, I see it was no joke. It was a warning. What I once found unthinkable is quickly becoming our reality. The combination of genocide in the Gaza Strip, accelerated ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and demolition of entire Bedouin villages within Israel makes it clear: There is a coherent logic behind the actions of the Israeli regime since its establishment. Maintaining Jewish supremacy over the entire territory reflects an apartheid logic that restricts or erases Palestinian rights. The genocide in Gaza is its most extreme manifestation, showing how far the regime is willing to go to achieve its objective. As a Jewish Israeli, I ask Americans not to look away Immediately after Hamas' criminal atrocity on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli politicians, military commanders and members of Knesset openly declared their goals. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tied the war to the biblical commandment to "blot out the memory of Amalek" – a message every Israeli understands as a call for total annihilation. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a complete siege on Gaza City ‒ no electricity, no food, no fuel. President Isaac Herzog claimed that it was false to speak of innocent civilians in Gaza, and that 'an entire nation ... is responsible' for Hamas' crimes. Words quickly turned into actions. As early as November 2023, Brig. Gen. Yogev Bar-Sheshet reported from inside the Gaza Strip: 'There's nothing left. Anyone who comes back here, if they come back at all, will find scorched earth. No homes, no agriculture, nothing. They have no future.' The attack on the population of Gaza goes far beyond the staggering number of deaths. It is a methodical policy with a clear objective: full occupation of the Gaza Strip and ethnic cleansing of its residents. The siege, starvation tactics, leveling of entire cities, relentless air strikes and manipulative use of humanitarian aid to force population transfer through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's 'aid centers' – all this is designed to eliminate Palestinian life in the Gaza Strip. More than 90% of the population has been displaced, and about 92% of all housing units have been destroyed or damaged. Most hospitals and schools have been attacked, and many have been put out of service by Israel. The options Israel leaves to 2 million people of Gaza range from expulsion to death by starvation, disease, shooting or air strikes. We must call the suffering in Gaza what it is: genocide This is not about random acts of cruelty. This is genocide, in the full sense of the word: a coordinated attack on all aspects of the lives of a group of people, aimed at erasing the foundations of their existence. The vision of a land 'cleansed' of Palestinians, free for Jewish Israelis to take over, is not limited to the Gaza Strip. While the attack in Gaza is underway, Israel has also ramped up efforts to drive Palestinians in the West Bank into ever-shrinking enclaves and degrade their living conditions. The military has taken over and destroyed entire neighborhoods, displacing about 40,000 people. Also, in recent months, consistent attacks by settlers have driven 40 communities out of their homes, while many others face imminent expulsion. Meanwhile, the network of checkpoints installed by Israel severely restricts Palestinians' freedom of movement, blocks farmers from accessing their land and damages the economy. In Gaza and in all the areas under Israel's control, we are witnessing the complete stripping away of Palestinians' rights, both as individuals and as a collective, in the face of unrestrained, deliberate and systematic Israeli violence. When I talk with Palestinian friends and partners, I can hardly look them in the eye anymore. Knowing my own society is committing these crimes has shattered everything I thought I knew about myself, about my country, about humanity. To begin rebuilding from the ashes, the genocide must stop. Yet this will not happen from within. There is no institution or mechanism in Israel today capable or willing to stop the government's campaign of annihilation. The international community has also failed. Some leaders have issued hollow statements, while others – especially the United States, both under the Trump administration and the Biden administration – are directly assisting Israel in the horrors. Only sustained public pressure on world leaders, and an uncompromising demand that they use every measure available under international law, can bring this genocide to an end. That is the only hope of saving whoever and whatever little remain from this catastrophe. Yair Dvir is the spokesperson for the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem.


New York Post
15 hours ago
- New York Post
Netanyahu says Gaza City will be sacked unless Hamas agrees to all of Israel's demands
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured Israelis Saturday night that he only plans to halt the take over Gaza City if Hamas agrees to all of the Jewish state's demands for ending the war — after the terror group seemed open to a partial cease-fire for the first time. 'We will agree to a deal on the condition that all the hostages are released in a single phase and in accordance with our terms for ending the war,' read the statement from Netanyahu's office. 7 Netanyahu said Israel is not interested in a partial deal. Ronen Zvulun/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock Those terms include the disarming of Hamas soldiers, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, Israeli control of the Gaza perimeter, and the installation of non-Hamas and non-Palestinian Authority governance that will live in peace with the Jewish state, according to the prime minister. Netanyahu's comments come after reports that the terror group had backtracked on its position and sent a message to mediators in Cairo this week expressing readiness to agree on a 'partial deal' for the first time. 7 Hamas had previously said it was only willing to accept a comprehensive peace deal. REUTERS Previously, Hamas leaders had said they were only willing to settle for a full cease-fire deal, leading to the collapse of hostage talks in Qatar last month. The 'partial deal' reportedly involves the release of 10 living hostages, held in Hamas captivity for nearly 700 days, and 18 dead ones in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners — a proposal that mirrors the US-backed Qatari deal first floated in May that the terror group balked at. There are 50 Israeli hostages still in Hamas captivity, about 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Hamas' about face was first reported by Israeli television Friday evening, citing a classified document it had received from Netanyahu. 7 People rallied on the eve of a national strike in Israel. AFP via Getty Images Meanwhile, thousands of protestors rallied in Tel Aviv Saturday night to put pressure on the Israeli government to agree to a hostage deal. The showing comes ahead of a planned nationwide strike Sunday meant to protest the expansion of the war in Gaza. Einav Zangauker, mother of Hamas-held captive Matan Zangauker, said the strike was 'only the beginning.' 'We'll stop the country tomorrow for our lives here, for our children, for the state of Israel,' she told the crowd at the rally, the Times of Israel reported. 'We can't take any more.' 7 Thousands rallied in Tel Aviv calling for the release of the hostages and an end to the war. AP 'We've stopped waiting for Netanyahu to stop the war when it's convenient for him politically,' she added. 'We demand quiet, security, a future, and the end of the war.' 7 Hamas has expressed willingness for a partial cease-fire deal in Gaza for the first time this week. Meanwhile, fighting ramped up north of Tel Aviv as Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah facility and a tunnel Friday belonging to the terror group in southern Lebanon, the Israeli Defense Forces reported. The IDF said the Hezbollah facility was a violation of the Israel-Lebanon cease-fire, which was ironed out in October 2024. 'We will not budge from our policy of maximum enforcement and will not allow threats to arise against the residents of the north and all citizens of Israel,' Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. 7 Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah facility and a tunnel in Lebannon Friday. AFP via Getty Images Last week, the Lebanese government approved a US-backed roadmap to disarm the Iran-linked terror group, infuriating Hezbollah's leader, Naim Qassem, who threatened there would be 'no life in Lebanon' should its weapons be taken by force.