Rome’s Chief Rabbi Blames Pope Francis for Historic Rupture in Jewish-Catholic Relations
Acrimonious dialogue signals historic breakdown as pope accused of “selective indignation”
Vatican News
Pope Francis greets Rome's chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni.
By Jules Gomes Published on January 23, 2025
Jewish-Christian relations are on the brink of a historic breakdown after Rome’s chief rabbi, Dr. Riccardo Di Segni, accused Pope Francis of neglecting persecuted Christians in Islamic countries while directing his “selective indignation” against Israel.
Addressing the 36th Day for Dialogue between Catholics and Jews at the Pontifical Lateran University on January 16, Di Segni warned that the pope’s “omissions, distractions, low-profile, generic citations” against Muslims who persecute Christians “clashes with the systematic and almost daily attention and words of disapproval and condemnation towards Israel.”
Pope Ignores Persecuted Christians
“The number of Christians in the Middle East is dropping precipitously,” Di Segni said, noting that in Iraq alone between 2003 and 2024, the Christian population nosedived from 1.5 million to 250,000. Meanwhile, 400,000 Christians have been killed by Muslims in South Sudan, 400,000 in Yemen, 400,000 in Syria, and at least 300,000 in Tigray (Ethiopia).
https://stream.org/romes-chief-rabbi-blames-pope-francis-for-historic-rupture-in-jewish-catholic-relations/
