By Micah Jonah
January 29, 2026
Pope Leo on Wednesday called for a global end to antisemitism, using the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day to pray for a world free from prejudice, oppression, and 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.
The pontiff, the first from the United States, appealed to world leaders to remain vigilant, to ensure that the horrors of genocide are never repeated. Relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism have improved significantly over recent decades, after centuries of tension.
Since his election last May, Pope Leo has repeatedly condemned antisemitism, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
