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Rome’s chief Jewish rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, delivered sharp criticism of Pope Francis on Thursday during a Catholic-Jewish dialogue event, accusing the pontiff of disproportionately condemning Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The remarks came as part of the annual World Day of Catholic-Jewish Dialogue, held at a Catholic university in Rome.
Rabbi Di Segni, who has led Rome’s Jewish community since 2001, argued that Francis has shown an unfair focus on Israel compared to other global conflicts in regions like Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and Ethiopia. “Selective indignation … weakens the pope’s strength,” he said, adding that a pope “cannot divide the world into children and stepchildren and must denounce the sufferings of all. This is exactly what the Pope does not do.”
Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, has recently amplified his criticisms of Israel’s actions in Gaza, describing the humanitarian crisis there as “very serious and shameful.” His remarks followed escalating violence between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian terror group governing Gaza. A ceasefire agreement between the two sides was reached on Wednesday and is set to begin on Sunday.
Rabbi Di Segni’s comments drew a reaction from Rev. Marco Gnavi, a Catholic priest and one of the event’s organizers, who expressed discomfort at the rabbi’s criticism. “You can’t ask us not to suffer both with you and with others,” said Gnavi.
Relations between Catholics and Jews have greatly improved over the past few decades after centuries of tension, with dialogue events like this one fostering understanding between the two faiths.
(Reporting adapted from Reuters.)
