
New Pope Leo tells Jews he wants to strengthen dialogue
VATICAN CITY, May 13 (Reuters) - Pope Leo XIV has told the world's Jewish communities he wants to strengthen the Roman Catholic Church's dialogue with them, in a message coming after a souring of relations between the Vatican and Israel over the war in Gaza.
The first U.S.-born pope sent a letter to Rabbi Noam Marans, the Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee, who posted the letter on the social platform X late on Monday.
'Trusting in the assistance of the almighty, I pledge to continue and strengthen the Church's dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish people in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council's declaration Nostra Aetate,' Leo said in the letter.
Nostra Aetate was a landmark document in the 1962-1965 Council that repudiated the concept of collective Jewish guilt for the death of Jesus and urged dialogue with non-Christian religions.
The brief document revolutionized Catholic relations with Jews after centuries of persecution and mistrust. Dialogue that ensued over the following two decades made it possible for Pope John II to become the first pontiff to visit a synagogue, giving a speech in Rome's main temple in 1986, where he called Jews 'our beloved elder brothers'.
After years of often tense relations, the Vatican and Israel signed a 'fundamental agreement' in 1993 and exchanged full ambassadors the next year.
A Vatican source said Marans would attend Leo's inaugural Mass on Sunday. More than a dozen other Jewish leaders from around the world were also expected to attend, the source said.
It was not yet clear if any Israeli government leader would attend the Mass.
While the late Pope Francis often condemned antisemitism, relations between the Vatican and Israel soured after the start of the war in Gaza in 2023.
Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages to Gaza. More than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then, Palestinian authorities say, and swathes of the heavily built-up enclave have been laid to waste.
The Israeli delegation to Pope Francis' funeral last month was headed by its ambassador to the Vatican Yaron Sideman, which sources said at the time was an intentionally low-level representation because of Francis' comments about Gaza.
Francis, who visited the Holy Land in 2014, suggested last November that the global community should study whether Israel's military campaign in Gaza constituted genocide, in some of his most explicit criticism of Israel's conduct in its war with Hamas.
Hashtags

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


BBC News
21 minutes ago
- BBC News
UK sanctions Israeli ministers over Gaza comments
The UK has sanctioned two Israeli far-right ministers over comments they made on Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich will both face a travel ban and have their assess frozen as part of the measures announced by the UK foreign Lammy said the ministers had "incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights". In response, Israel said: "It is outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kind of measures." This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.


Telegraph
36 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Labour to sanction Israeli ministers
The UK will sanction two Israeli ministers over their comments about the war in Gaza. Britain will impose asset freezes and travel bans on ultra-nationalists Ben-Gvir, the Israeli security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister. It is a significant break from the US, bringing the UK in line with sanctions imposed by Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others.


Scottish Sun
36 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Just leave her in Gaza' Israeli hostage families slam Greta Thunberg over embarrassing ‘Freedom Flotilla' stunt
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GRETA Thunberg's "Freedom Flotilla" ship stunt has been slammed by the tormented families of hostages. Anti-Israel campaigner Greta, 22, has been accused of supporting Hamas after attempting to breach the Gaza blockade. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 11 Greta Thunberg pictured after the Israeli Defence Forces boarded the Madleen Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 Rita Lifshitz outside her father-in-law Oded's burnt-out home 11 The family of hostage Oded Lifshitz speaks to the crowd at a protest rally against the government Credit: Alamy 11 Greta pictured on a deportation flight from Israel Credit: Twitter/OSINTdefender Israeli naval forces seized the British flagged-yacht Madleen carrying the climate activist on Monday. Greta - who moaned she was "kidnapped" - has been blasted for her latest antic by the families of hostages who have lambasted her for wasting precious time. She has since been pictured on a deportation flight from Israel. One ex-government official rebuked what they branded an "insignificant episode which mostly manifested the stupidity of both sides". Rita Lifshitz, whose in-laws were brutally kidnapped on October 7, echoed suggestions she should have been "left in Gaza". She told The Sun: "In Sweden they said it would have been better to let her into Gaza so she couldn't come back. "People don't believe in what she's doing and saying. "This will just show them more that they shouldn't believe what she is saying." Rita's father-in-law Oded was callously killed in captivity after being snatched by Hamas terrorists from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. He and wife Yocheved were among 250 taken hostage when vile Hamas thugs tore across the border - killing at random and torching homes. Steve Brisley's sister Leanne 48, and his nieces Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, were among those cruelly murdered that day. Greta Thunberg's Gaza 'Freedom Flotilla' boarded & seized by Israeli forces The dad, from Bridgend, Wales, took aim at Greta's stunt for wasting time which could have been used to get the remaining hostages home. "This isn't about politics or publicity for me," he said. "It's about families torn apart and 55 hostages still in Gaza. "Their loved ones wait for their return - for an embrace or a burial. "Every moment wasted on anything else adds to the suffering on both sides." 11 Steve Brisley, whose sister and two nieces were killed on 7 October by Hamas Credit: AFP 11 Rita Lifshitz stands near her son, Daniel Lifshitz, as he delivers his grandfather's eulogy during the funeral for Oded Lifshitz Credit: Getty 11 Ruins of a kibbutz decimated by Hamas Credit: Katie Davis for The Sun 11 Greta Thunberg speaking at a press conference Credit: Getty Efrat Machikawa, whose elderly uncle Gadi Moses was trapped in Gaza for 15 months, resonated with Steve's call. She said: "The only comment I might have at the moment is to bring the focus on releasing all hostages and ending this terrible war, so we can all heal. "Every day passing is a day too late for all of us in the region." Israeli's furious government has vowed to make Greta and other activists detained watch a harrowing video of the October 7 massacre. Haunting clips shows innocents, including children, being slaughtered by Hamas savages during the attacks. The footage - titled "Bearing Witness" - was taken from the Hamas terrorists' bodycams as they filmed their massacre. Hamas unleashed carnage in the Middle East after massacring more than 1,200 and abducting 251 hostages on October 7, 2023. What happened on October 7? ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation's history. Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly. The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence. Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock. And as well as attacking people in their homes, they stormed the Nova music peace festival - killing at least 364 people there alone. The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war. The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 16 months of devastation that followed. Some 56 hostages remain in Gaza - 20 of whom are still believed to be alive. Greta's bid to get into the strip with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) came after a failed attempt in May, when another of its vessels was struck by two drones in international waters off Malta. Footage on Monday showed the Israeli Navy communicating with the Madleen over a loudspeaker, urging it to change course. Israeli forces boarded the ship and the foreign ministry later confirmed it was "safely making its way to the shores of Israel". All passengers were safe, unharmed and handed sandwiches and water before the vessel docked at the southern Israeli port of Ashdod. The boat was carrying a "tiny amount of aid" on board - which will be sent to Gaza. Greta had earlier posted on social media with a Palestine flag and wearing a keffiyeh scarf while on the journey. Who is on board the "Freedom Flotilla"? Greta Thunberg - Swedish climate activist Rima Hassan – French-Palestinian MEP Yasemin Acar – German activist Thiago Avila – Brazilian activist Omar Faiad – French journalist Pascal Maurieras – French activist Yanis Mhamdi – French reporter Suayb Ordu – Turkish activist Sergio Toribio – Spanish activist Marco van Rennes – Dutch activist Reva Viard – French activist Liam Cunningham - Irish Game of Thrones actor Baptiste Andre - French Physician US President Donald Trump commented: "She's a strange person. "I think she needs to go to an anger management class." Travelling alongside her was Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament of Palestinian descent. She was barred from entering Israel due to her outspoken criticism of the country's policies towards Palestinians. Organisers claimed pro-Palestinian FFC claimed the voyage was 'a non-violent, direct action to challenge Israel's illegal siege". Israel imposed a near-total blockade on Gaza in late 2023, following Hamas's horror massacre on southern Israel on October 7. 11 A photo posted on Telegram purportedly showing activists with their hands up on board the Madleen Credit: Freedom Flotilla Coalition 11 Greta Thunberg was part of the crew of the ship Madleen Credit: Getty