Pope Leo XIV promotes 'spiritual bond' between Catholics and 'people of Israel'
Pope Leo XIV touted "the spiritual bond" that he says unites the Catholic Church "with the people of Israel" during this week's trip to Argentina.
The pontiff spoke Monday at an interfaith gathering at San Martín Palace, the headquarters of Argentina's Foreign Ministry in Buenos Aires.
"Following the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, I wish to reaffirm the spiritual bond that unites the Church with the people of Israel," the pope said, promoting "our sincere respect for what is holy and true in the different religious traditions."
The pope described Argentina as "a melting pot of races, cultures and religions," "formed by its Indigenous peoples and the many immigrants from different parts of the world" who "learned to work together."
"At first, they were Catholics, Protestants and Jews, and later many others," he said. "Despite their differences, they all learned to work together, to form families and communities, and to build settlements and villages, in an admirable blending of their traditions with local customs."
Isaac Sacca, chief rabbi of the Sephardic Community of Buenos Aires, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he found the comments to be "a pleasant surprise to us, especially at a time when antisemitism is resurfacing, as it is in Europe."
"The meeting was moving on several levels," Sacca said. "All the different religious communities that coexist in harmony and peace in Argentina came together and showed themselves as they truly are before the pope."
In July, Leo XIV issued a statement denouncing the ongoing violence in the Palestinian territories amid Israel's war against Hamas. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when the Islamic terrorist group attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.
"I continue to follow with deep concern the ongoing and escalating violence in the Holy Land," stated the pontiff, adding that "many civilians have recently fallen victim, both in the West Bank and in Gaza."
The pope called for "a return to negotiations aimed at achieving a just political solution, founded on the equal dignity and equal rights of every human person, and for the rejection of further military actions and unilateral decisions, particularly those that violate the respect due to and the status quo of the holy sites of every religious faith."
"I urge all parties involved to suspend their attacks and urgently reopen avenues of dialogue and diplomacy, so that the peace so greatly desired by the entire region may be achieved without delay," he added.
In August, Pope Leo XIV, who supports a two-state solution, called for an end to "the repeated acts of violence against the Palestinian population" in his Sunday Angelus address at Castel Gandolfo, which came amid reports of an attack on one of the last remaining Christian villages in the West Bank by Israeli settlers.
