ROME (AP) 鈥 Pope Francis recalled the extermination of millions of Jews in calling Wednesday for the upcoming Holocaust Day of Remembrance to reaffirm that war can never be justified and only benefits weapons makers.
At the end of his weekly general audience, Francis referred to Saturday鈥檚 commemoration, which has become fraught this year given Israel鈥檚 military campaign in Gaza and a and around the world.
鈥淭he remembrance and condemnation of that horrific extermination of millions of Jews and of other faiths, which occurred in the first half of the last century, help us all not to forget that the logic of hatred and violence can never be justified, because they deny our very humanity,鈥 Francis said.
Italy鈥檚 Jewish community has denounced a rise in antisemitic sentiment, including what leaders call the improper use of following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel and Israel鈥檚 military response in Gaza.
On Tuesday, the head of the umbrella group of Jewish communities in Italy, Noemi Di Segni, announced that marathons around Italy that have traditionally marked past Holocaust Remembrance Days
She also complained about unnamed Catholic leaders who had 鈥渕inimized the recognition of what happened on Oct. 7 as a terrorist act compared to the right of Israel to defend itself.鈥 She didn鈥檛 name names, but some Jewish leaders have complained about Francis鈥 initial comments, in which he didn鈥檛 identify Hamas by name and complained generally that 鈥渨e鈥檝e gone beyond war 鈥
Francis has subsequently always referred to suffering in both Israel and Gaza, and specifically
Francis said this year鈥檚 commemoration falls amid not only the war in Gaza but also in 鈥渢ormented Ukraine鈥 and called for prayers for the victims and for political leaders to 鈥渃herish human life by putting an end to wars.鈥
鈥淟et us not forget: War is always a defeat, always,鈥 he said. "The only 鈥榳inner鈥 is the arms manufacturers.鈥
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This version corrects the first name of Noemi Di Segni.
