Pope Leo calls for world free from persecution while honoring Holocaust victims

Pope Leo made an appeal for a world free from antisemitism, prejudice, oppression and persecution Wednesday before linking the message to International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which was observed the day before. Speaking at the conclusion of his weekly audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, the pope recalled the Jan. 27 commemoration honoring the millions of Jews and others murdered. Pope Leo called it an " annual occasion of painful remembrance " and urged the international community to remain vigilant so that "the horror of genocide may never again be inflicted upon any people" and so that societies rooted in "mutual respect and the common good" can be built. RABBI ATTACKED ON NYC STREET ON International Holocaust Remembrance Day "I ask the Almighty for the gift of a world no longer marked by antisemitism, nor by prejudice, oppression and persecution against any human being," the pope said. International Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. The Holocaust resulted in the systematic murder of 6 million Jews and millions of others during World War II. ANTISEMITISM IS BECOMING 'NORMAL,' WITH JEWISH TEENS PAYING THE PRICE On Jan. 27, as he left his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Leo also spoke to reporters. When asked about rising tensions in the Middle East and the deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier to the region amid protests and killings in Iran at the hands of its regime, Leo emphasized the need "to pray hard for peace." "We little ones can raise our voices and always seek dialogue rather than violence to resolve problems, especially on this day that commemorates the Shoah," he added. In a post on X marking the Holocaust memorial, Pope Leo reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s commitment to the principles outlined in Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s declaration rejecting all forms of antisemitism. WHY HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE MATTERS AS HISTORY IS REWRITTEN AND ANTISEMITISM SURGES He stressed that the church "rejects any discrimination or harassment based on ethnicity, language, nationality or religion" and encouraged dialogue rather than violence as a means toward solving conflicts. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Vatican for comment.