As the Argentinian Jewish community expressed condolences to their Catholic countrymen following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, a Buenos Aires-born rabbi and Argentine Jewish radio director recalled how the Argentinian-born pontiff had strived for interfaith unity in the country and stood against antisemitism.
Rabbi Yosef Kleiner, who now lives in Israel, told The Jerusalem Post that while the deteriorating health of the pope had made his passing expected, it didn’t make his death any less sad. Kleiner met the pope a year and a half ago during one of his two visits to the Vatican to participate in a workshop study of Hebrew manuscripts in the Vatican library. The pope himself had made it possible for these documents to become openly available.
Kleiner said he had found the pope to be a kind and humble person, who, despite his duties, had taken the time to respond to Kleiner’s correspondence.
The pope had said how nice it was to meet people midway on one’s spiritual journey and signed off his letter to the rabbi with “Pray for me,” a request that Kleiner said was often made by the pope to others.
While serving as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, the pope had a close relationship with the Jewish community, said Kleiner. Radio Jai general director and Jewish-Muslim Fellowship founder Miguel Steuermann, who met the pope several times, said that Pope Francis had many close friends who were Jews and had attempted to bring Jews and Catholics closer together. He was often invited by Jewish communities to attend holiday events, said Steuermann. Kleiner said that Francis had been the first South American Christian authority to enter a synagogue.
“He was one of the best friends we ever had in the Vatican,” said Kleiner.
“He tried to bring the church closer to the Jewish people, and he was always a friend, always open to Jewish people and leaders who had questions or requests.”
Pope spoke out against anti-Jewish hatred
Steuermann noted that the pope had written much against antisemitism as a cardinal, and had continued to speak out against anti-Jewish hatred up until his last address on Sunday. At the address, he had also called for the return of the hostages held by Hamas, as he “understood the Israeli pain.”
Despite the current focus on the Catholic leader’s criticisms of Israel, Steuermann said it should also be remembered “that he was one of the [world] leaders who welcomed the hostage families and tried to help them as much as possible.”
Kleiner acknowledged that Pope Francis’ stance after the October 7 Massacre had disappointed many Argentinian Jews, clouding his image despite his advances in other areas of Judeo-Christian relations.
According to some, he was not tough enough against Hamas or condemning terrorism, but his position was to try to moderate and seek peace. Steuermann said that as the Catholic leader, it was part of his job to hold humanitarian concerns about the events in Gaza.
“I don’t think we’ll [again] have a pope so close and friendly to the people of Israel, to Jews, to Judaism, and Israel, despite the criticism” about the Israel-Hamas War, said Steuermann.
Kleiner said that the Argentinian people loved the pope and took pride in his origins and the special type of Argentinian cheer that he expressed.
The rabbi expressed his condolences to his Catholic friends and also reminded them that the pope had always spoken about the joy of being Christian, the joy of the Gospel, and the holiday period that was a celebration of the joy of Jesus’s divinity.
The rabbi recalled that even as an archbishop, the future pope had a quiet loudness about him, and that, as he was committed to social causes, he was not always welcomed by those in power. He was also a shrewd politician, able to become the first Jesuit pope by bringing different factions of the Church into his camp.
The Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina sent a letter to the Argentinian Catholic Church, the group said on X/Twitter, expressing their condolences.
“We highlighted his tireless work in favor of interreligious dialogue, social justice, and the dignity of the most vulnerable,” said AMIA. “We offer a prayer for his eternal rest and renew our commitment to the ideals of coexistence and solidarity that he so deeply embodied.”