Pope Francis Meets ADL Leaders, Condemns Anti-Semitism

Image by Getty Images

By Ben Harris February 9, 2017

(JTA) — Pope Francis received a delegation from the Anti-Defamation League and said the church feels “particularly obliged” to help fight anti-Semitism.

Francis met with the delegation Thursday at the Vatican, according to a report from Vatican Radio.

“The Catholic Church feels particularly obliged to do all that is possible with our Jewish friends to repel anti-Semitic tendencies,” Francis said.

The pope recalled his visit last year to Auschwitz, saying, “There are no adequate words or thoughts in the face of such horrors of cruelty and sin; there is prayer, that God may have mercy and that such tragedies may never happen again.”

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO