Pope Leo on Wednesday called for an end to antisemitism worldwide, using the annual commemoration of the Holocaust to urge global action against hatred, racism and persecution.
Speaking during his weekly audience at the Vatican, the pontiff prayed for a world free of discrimination.
“On this annual occasion of painful remembrance, 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.
Pope Leo, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, also appealed to world leaders to remain vigilant. He warned “that the horror of genocide may never again fall upon any people.”
International Holocaust Remembrance Day, established by the United Nations, was observed on Tuesday.
Relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism have improved in recent decades, following centuries of strained ties.
Since assuming office last May as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, Pope Leo has repeatedly condemned antisemitism, continuing the stance of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
