At Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass and beyond, Jewish leaders show hope in Jewish-Catholic relations

VATICAN CITY — Jewish leaders got up-front seats at Pope Leo XIV's inauguration Mass. An American rabbi there and other representatives saw that as a hopeful sign for an upswing of Catholic-Jewish relations under the first U.S.-born pontiff, after a strained relationship with his predecessor.

With growing antisemitic rhetoric and attacks in various countries, as well as mounting international criticism of Israel's conduct in its war with Hamas, the moral voice of the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics can make a real difference, they said.

''It can save Jewish lives,'' Rabbi Noam Marans, the American Jewish Committee's director of interreligious affairs, told The Associated Press.

Wearing his kippah, he attended Sunday's Mass at St. Peter's Square only days after he received a letter from newly elected Leo highlighting the importance of dialogue and cooperation. And Marans was on hand when Leo met Monday with faith leaders who came to Rome for his inaugural Mass and vowed to continue the Vatican's dialogue and emphasis on fraternity with people of other faiths.

''No pope had ever written to an American rabbi in this way,'' Marans said. ''The success of the post-Council Jewish-Catholic relations is demonstrated better in the United States than anywhere else.''

Jewish leaders were upset over Francis' comments

It was 60 years ago that the Second Vatican Council issued the proclamation ''Nostra Aetate'' (Latin for ''in our time''). It marked a turning point in the 2,000-year-old history of two major religions by focusing on the shared heritage between Judaism and Christianity, rejecting the centuries-old belief of Jewish guilt in the killing of Christ, and denouncing antisemitism as a sin.

Since then, the Vatican has sought to bolster relations with other faiths, including Judaism. In 2016, Pope Francis became the third pope to visit Rome's main synagogue, after a Vatican declaration that the church didn't support official efforts to convert Jews.

But Francis also dismayed numerous Jewish leaders with some of his remarks about Israeli's military operations in Gaza that followed the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas militants. More than 1,200 people were killed then, mostly civilians, and 250 abducted, with dozens still believed held in Gaza. More than 53,000 people there have been killed in the war since, according to Palestinian authorities.

There was widespread anger over a public letter from Francis on the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that expressed empathy with the people of Gaza, but never mentioned Israel or the Jewish people.

A month later, news broke that Francis in an interview had called for an investigation to determine if Israel's attacks in Gaza constitute genocide.

''It was painful to hear from the pope the word genocide or even suspicion of genocide,'' said Noemi Di Segni, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, which represents Italy's 25,000 Jews. ''It really devastates us, and a crisis was created.''

Di Segni said she also received a letter from Leo, just days into his papacy. It made her hopeful, she said, that he would make the Vatican's official position of dialogue with and respect for Jews trickle down to the reality of small Italian parishes, where the faithful might never have interacted with a Jewish person.

The church and the Jewish trauma

Centuries of discrimination when Jews were made to live in ghettos, including in Rome — often at the instigation of the church — have left vivid memories in Jewish communities across Europe, as has the trauma of the Holocaust.

Interfaith relations have been smoother in the United States, several faith leaders said, both at the official and daily levels. In December, the American Jewish Committee and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops jointly published a booklet to combat antisemitism.

In the U.S. and Israel, Jewish faith leaders said they were encouraged by Leo's commitment to interreligious dialogue. In a meeting with representatives of different faiths on Monday, Leo thanked them for their presence at the Mass and highlighted ''the special relationship with Judaism'' that all Christians have because of their ''shared spiritual heritage.''

''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,'' he said.

Leo opens a new page in relations with other religions

Jewish faith leaders also praised Leo's mention of the hostages in his first Sunday blessing, when he also called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

In the blessing following his inaugural Mass, Leo called out ''those who suffer because of wars'' in Gaza, Myanmar and Ukraine — no mention of the Jewish hostages.

''The suffering of innocent non-combatants in any conflict is a tragedy,'' Marans said after the Mass, echoing sentiments from other Jewish leaders who expect Leo to strike a different tone than Francis even while maintaining political criticism.

''Our hope is to return to the direct, frank dialogue between friends that can take place behind closed doors,'' said Rabbi Joshua Stanton, who oversees interfaith initiatives for Jewish Federations of North America. He added that Pope Leo ''is known for working well with people quietly.''

The trickiest question is how the dialogue with Jewish faith leaders will translate into a dialogue between the Holy See and Israel, especially over the ongoing war. The two states only established diplomatic relations in 1993.

For many Jews around the world — regardless of religious observance, politics and opinions about the Israeli government — the state of Israel, and its security, are crucial to their identity.

Francis sometimes failed to see that, said Jerusalem-based Rabbi David Rosen, who was invited to attend Leo's inauguration Mass and has long worked with the Vatican on interreligious affairs.

''Francis was a great friend, but not always considerate,'' he added, while Leo has shown ''greater sensitivity'' in his statements about the war.

Israel's ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, said relations with Francis had become ''very complicated,'' but he met Leo on Friday alongside the rest of the diplomatic corps and praised the pope's commitment to engage.

''We both stand for something much bigger than geopolitical entities,'' Sideman added of the Israeli and Vatican states. ''You can't separate dialogue with Jewish people and the state where half of Jewish people live. This is where it needs to be fundamentally restructured.''

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Associated Press writer David Crary in New York contributed to this report.

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