Pope Leo XIV: \u2018The Church does not tolerate antisemitism\u2019 Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday strongly condemned antisemitism during his general audience in St. Peter\u2019s Square marking the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council document on the Church\u2019s relations with other religions. The pope underlined that since the publication of Nostra Aetate, \u201call of my predecessors have condemned antisemitism with clear words.\u201d \u201cAnd so I too confirm that the Church does not tolerate antisemitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself,\u201d Leo said on Oct. 29. The pope expressed thanks for what has been achieved in the past 60 years of Jewish-Catholic dialogue while acknowledging the challenges that have arisen along the way. \u201cWe cannot deny that there have been misunderstandings, difficulties, and conflicts in this period, but these have never prevented the dialogue from continuing,\u201d he said. \u201cEven today, we must not allow political circumstances and the injustices of some to divert us from friendship, especially since we have achieved so much so far.\u201d Pope Leo was joined by Jewish rabbis, Muslim imams, Buddhist monks, and other religious leaders for the general audience. He called on them to act together to alleviate human suffering, care for the planet, and restore hope. \u201cMore than ever, our world needs our unity, our friendship, and our collaboration,\u201d he said. \u201cEach one of our religions can contribute to alleviating human suffering and taking care of our common home, our planet Earth.\u201d Those present included representatives of Hinduism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, and Taoism, along with Christian leaders. Many had participated the previous evening in a peace ceremony at the Colosseum organized by the Community of Sant\u2019Egidio, which brought together about 300 representatives of world religions and cultures. Pope Leo also prayed for those affected by Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica on Tuesday as the strongest Category 5 storms on record to hit the Caribbean island before sweeping across Cuba. \u201cThousands of people have been displaced, while homes, infrastructure, and several hospitals have been damaged,\u201d he said. \u201cI assure everyone of my closeness, praying for those who have lost their lives, for those who are fleeing, and for those populations who, awaiting the storm\u2019s developments, are experiencing hours of anxiety and concern.\u201d The pope\u2019s catechesis centered on Nostra Aetate, issued Oct. 28, 1965, during the Second Vatican Council, which opened what Leo called \u201ca new horizon of encounter, respect, and spiritual hospitality.\u201d \u201cThis luminous document teaches us to meet the followers of other religions not as outsiders but as traveling companions on the path of truth; to honor differences affirming our common humanity,\u201d he said. Recalling the document\u2019s historical importance, Leo noted that Nostra Aetate offered for the first time \u201ca doctrinal treatise on the Jewish roots of Christianity \u2026 which on a biblical and theological level would represent a point of no return.\u201d Quoting the council text, he added: \u201cThe Church, \u2018mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel\u2019s spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of antisemitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.\u2019\u201d The pope warned against religious extremism and fundamentalism. He told the leaders of different religions present: \u201cOur respective traditions teach truth, compassion, reconciliation, justice, and peace.\u201d \u201cTogether, we must be vigilant against the abuse of the name of God, of religion, and of dialogue itself, as well as against the dangers posed by religious fundamentalism and extremism.\u201d He also called on religious leaders to work together on the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. \u201cWe must also face the responsible development of artificial intelligence because, if conceived as an alternative to humans, it can gravely violate their infinite dignity and neutralize their fundamental responsibilities,\u201d he said. Leo underlined that religion can play a fundamental role in promoting peace and restoring hope to the world. \u201cThis hope is based on our religious convictions, on the conviction that a new world is possible,\u201d he said. \u201cSixty years ago, Nostra Aetate brought hope to the world after the Second World War. Today we are called upon to rekindle that hope in our world, devastated by war and our degraded natural environment.\u201d At the end of the audience, Leo led those gathered in a moment of silent prayer. \u201cPrayer has the power to transform our attitudes, our thoughts, our words, and our actions,\u201d he said. This article was originally published by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. 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