Key Takeaways:
A rare public rebuke of a sitting pope by a prominent rabbi is testing nearly 60 years of carefully cultivated Catholic-Jewish relations, introducing a new diplomatic strain to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
"How dare he?" Rabbi Warren Goldstein, chief rabbi of South Africa's Union of Orthodox Synagogues, asked in an April 20 speech, adding that Pope Leo XIV’s hands “are dripping with blood” for failing to distinguish between Israeli soldiers and “the barbarians of Hamas.”
The rabbi’s comments responded to the pope’s March 29 Palm Sunday sermon, where he declared God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.” The exchange marks a stark departure from the warm relations under recent popes, who have strengthened ties with Israel and condemned antisemitism.
The dispute threatens to turn back the clock on six decades of progress since the 1965 "Nostra aetate" declaration, which reset relations. For global leaders, it adds a complex religious dimension to diplomatic efforts concerning the wars involving Israel, Iran, and Hamas, potentially complicating back-channel communications that rely on interfaith solidarity.
The sermon from Pope Leo XIV, who has been on the papal throne for just over a year, was seen by his supporters as consistent with his long-standing pastoral strategy. Those who knew him as Father Robert Prevost in Peru during the 1990s recall a priest who was unafraid to speak out against violence and injustice, even when facing the Shining Path insurgency and an authoritarian government. "He has a well-established track record of defending human rights and justice, and hence it's not surprising to hear his invocation," said Armando Jesús Lovera Vásquez, who knew the pope in Peru.
Rabbi Goldstein’s fierce response was delivered on Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s official day of remembrance for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. He argued that the pope “makes no distinction between good and evil” and that the wars Israel has fought are “just wars.” His speech is without recent precedent, given the history of collaboration between the faiths. Pope John Paul II formally recognized Israel in 1993, and both Pope Benedict XIV and Pope Francis made visits to the Holy Land to strengthen ties.
Associates of Pope Leo XIV describe him as measured and reflective, not impulsive. "He is not someone who reacts quickly," Lovera said. "He listens, reflects, and then acts." They point to his work as bishop in Chiclayo, Peru, where he mediated disputes between peasants and mining companies and organized community-wide relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidence of a leader who speaks only when he feels human dignity is at stake. "He does not speak to confront," said Janina Sesa, who worked with him in Chiclayo. "He speaks when something touches the dignity of people."
The core of the issue may be a clash of perspectives. The pope, speaking from a universalist position, has insisted his calls for peace "are not meant as attacks on anyone." Rabbi Goldstein, speaking on a day of national mourning, focused on the specific context of Israel's security. As the rabbi noted, the Jewish prayer for an end to war is ancient, but "that day has not yet arrived. And that is why we cry on Yom HaZikaron.” The exchange leaves observers to wonder if this is a temporary blip or a more lasting and dangerous turn toward enmity in the relationship between two world faiths.
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