Pope Francis denounces the "barbaric revival" of anti-Semitism

Pope Francis condemned the "barbaric rebirth" of anti-Semitism and criticized the selfish indifference that is creating the conditions for division, populism and hatred.

"I will never tire of strongly condemning all forms of anti-Semitism," the pope told a delegation from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights organization based in Los Angeles that fights hatred and anti-Semitism in Worldwide.

Meeting with the delegation in the Vatican on January 20, the pope said: "It is worrying to see, in many parts of the world, an increase in selfish indifference" who is concerned only with what is easy for oneself and without concern for the others.

It is an attitude that believes that “life is good as long as it is good for me and when things go wrong, anger and malice are unleashed. This creates fertile ground for the forms of faction and populism that we see around us. I hate rapidly growing on this terrain, "he added.

To address the root cause of the problem, he said, "we must also commit to cultivating the ground where hatred grows and sowing peace."

By integrating and trying to understand others, "we protect ourselves more effectively", said the pope, therefore, "it is urgent to reintegrate those who are marginalized, to reach those far away" and to support those who have been "discarded" and for help people who are victims of intolerance and discrimination.

Francis noted that January 27 would mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp from the Nazi forces.

Recalling his visit to the extermination camp in 2016, he underlined how important it is to devote time to moments of reflection and silence, in order to better listen to "the reason for suffering humanity".

Today's consumer culture is also greedy for words, he said, churning out so many "useless" words, wasting so much time "arguing, accusing, shouting insults without worrying about what we say".

“Silence, on the other hand, helps keep memory alive. If we lose our memory, we destroy our future, "he said.

The commemoration of "the indescribable cruelty that humanity learned 75 years ago," he said, should "serve as a summons to pause," to be silent and remember.

"We have to do it, so let's not become indifferent," he said.

And he asked Christians and Jews to continue using their shared spiritual heritage to serve all people and create ways to get closer together.

"If we don't do it - we who believe in Him who from above reminded us and showed compassion for our weaknesses - then who will do it?"