Pope calls for hostages’ release, ceasefire in Easter address

“[The Church] rejects every form of anti-Judaism and antisemitism, unequivocally condemning manifestations of hatred towards Jews and Judaism as a sin against God,” he wrote.

“We had hoped that ‘Never again’ would be a refrain heard by the new generations, yet now we see that the path ahead requires ever closer collaboration to eradicate these phenomena,” he said.

Francis drew criticism for previous remarks during the war, including on Christmas Day, in which he condemned Israel’s “appalling harvest” of civilian victims in the Gaza Strip.

“I plead for an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims, and call for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by an opening to the provision of humanitarian aid,” he said from St. Peter’s Basilica to a crowd of thousands in the square below.

Francis has also appeared to accuse Israel of terrorism.

It’s “forbidden to respond to terror with terror,” the pontiff reportedly told Israeli President Isaac Herzog in November. On December 17, the pope said, “Some say, ‘This is terrorism and war.’ Yes, it is war. It is terrorism.”