Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 28, 2026
1 min readLast updated: January 28, 2026
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 28, 2026
1 min readLast updated: January 28, 2026
Pope Leo urged action against global anti-Semitism during his Vatican audience, calling on leaders to prevent future genocides.
VATICAN CITY, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Pope Leo called on Wednesday for an end to antisemitism worldwide, marking the annual commemoration of the Holocaust with a prayer for a world without prejudice or racism.
"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," the pope said during his weekly audience at the Vatican.
Leo, the first U.S. pope, appealed to world leaders "to always remain vigilant, so that the horror of genocide may never again fall upon any people".
International Holocaust Remembrance Day, an annual commemoration established by the United Nations, was marked on Tuesday.
Relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism have improved in recent decades, after centuries of animosity.
Leo, like his predecessor Pope Francis, has condemned antisemitism several times since becoming the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church last May.
(Reporting by Joshua McElweeEditing by Cristina Carlevaro and Gareth Jones)
Anti-Semitism is prejudice against, hatred of, or discrimination against Jews. It can manifest in various forms, including social exclusion, violence, and systemic discrimination.
The Holocaust refers to the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its allies during World War II.
A prayer for peace is a spiritual request for harmony and tranquility among individuals and nations, often invoking divine assistance to eliminate conflict and promote understanding.
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