Pope Leo XIV leads the Angelus prayer in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Yara Nardi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday condemned antisemitism and affirmed the Catholic Church’s commitment to combating hatred and persecution against the Jewish people, arguing his faith demands such a stance.

Speaking in St. Pete’s Square at the Vatican for his weekly “general audience,” the pontiff acknowledged the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, a declaration from the Second Vatican Council and promulgated on Oct. 28, 1965, by Pope Paul VI that called for dialogue and respect between Christianity and other religions.

Since the publication of Nostra Aetate, “all my predecessors have condemned antisemitism with clear words,” Leo said. “I too confirm that the Church does not tolerate antisemitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself.”

“This luminous document teaches us to meet the followers of other religions not as outsiders, but as travelling companions on the path of truth; to honor differences affirming our common humanity; and to discern, in every sincere religious search, a reflection of the one divine mystery that embraces all creation,” Leo continued.

He then added that the primary focus of Nostra Aetate was toward the Jewish people, explaining that Pope John XXIII, who preceded Paul VI, intended to “re-establish the original relationship.”

Representatives from other faiths including rabbis, imams, and Buddhist monks attended Wednesday’s gathering. Leo thanked them for joining him and acknowledged that “we cannot deny that there have been misunderstandings, difficulties, and conflicts” in the previous 60 years.

“Even today, we must not allow political circumstances and the injustices of some to divert us from friendship, especially since we have achieved so much so far,” Leo said. “More than ever, our world needs our unity, our friendship and our collaboration.”

Leo added that “each one of our religions can contribute to alleviating human suffering and taking care of our common home, our planet Earth.”

The pontiff also addressed Jewish-Catholic relations specifically.

“Today we can look with gratitude at everything that has been achieved in Jewish-Catholic dialogue during these six decades,” he said. “This is due not only to human effort, but to the assistance of our God who, according to Christian conviction, is dialogue itself.”

Leo described how through Nostra Aetate, “for the first time in the history of the Church, a doctrinal treatise on the Jewish roots of Christianity was to take shape, which on a biblical and theological level would represent a point of no return.” He said that the origins of the Catholic Church “are found already among the Patriarchs, Moses, and the prophets.”

Jewish leaders have expressed optimism for interfaith relations under Leo’s leadership.

Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee (AJC), told The Algemeiner in May that “his remarks to the Jewish people have actually been extraordinary.”

At the time, just after being elected to the papacy, Leo met with Jewish leaders and other faith representatives at the Vatican. “Because of the Jewish roots of Christianity, all Christians have a special relationship with Judaism,” he said during the meeting. “Even in these difficult times, marked by conflicts and misunderstandings, it is necessary to continue the momentum of this precious dialogue of ours.”

Before the beginning of Leo’s pontificate, Israeli-Vatican relations had come under strain due to the late Pope Francis’s statements about the war to defeat Hamas in Gaza, including his suggestion that the Jewish state was committing genocide.

“According to some experts what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies,” Francis said.

In his Wednesday speech, Leo stated, “Together, we must be vigilant against the abuse of the name of God, of religion, and of dialogue itself, as well as against the dangers posed by religious fundamentalism and extremism.”

“Our spiritual and cultural differences are called to encounter one another and to live together fraternally,” the pontiff added.