Pope Leo XIV used his weekly audience at the Vatican on Wednesday to call for a world free from antisemitism, marking the annual Holocaust remembrance with a message of reflection and hope.
"I ask the Almighty for the gift of a world with no more antisemitism and, with no more prejudice, oppression, or persecution of any human being," he said, emphasizing the moral responsibility of humanity to prevent future atrocities.
The pope, the first US-born leader of the Catholic Church, appealed to global leaders to remain vigilant so that genocide never again strikes any people. His remarks coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day, an observance established by the United Nations to honor victims and educate future generations about the horrors of the Holocaust.
Relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism have improved significantly over recent decades, and Pope Leo has continued the tradition of his predecessor, Pope Francis, in condemning antisemitism repeatedly.