Pope Leo XIV has expressed profound sorrow and issued a strong moral appeal following a deadly attack on the Jewish community in Sydney, Australia, urging an end to antisemitic violence and calling the faithful to prayer, conversion, and peace.
After learning of the December 14 attack at Bondi Beach that claimed the lives of 16 people during a Hanukkah celebration, the Holy Father sent a formal message of condolence to Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney. In a telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo conveyed his grief over the loss of “members of the Jewish community gathered for a Hanukkah celebration,” according to Vatican News.
An Urgent Message from Sister Sara – Please Watch
The Pope offered his “assurance of his spiritual closeness to all those affected by this senseless act of violence,” while also praying for the injured and those mourning loved ones. He expressed renewed hope, according to Vatican News, that “those tempted to violence will undergo conversion and seek the path of peace,” while invoking “the divine blessings of peace and strength upon all Australians.”
In a separate public address the following day, Pope Leo spoke forcefully about the attack while meeting with groups who donated this year’s Vatican Christmas Tree and Nativity Scenes. During the encounter, he called on Catholics to pray for all victims of war and violence, singling out those affected by the Sydney attack, whom he said he entrusted to the Lord, according to Vatican News.
“Enough with these forms of antisemitic violence!” the Pope declared. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts,” he said, underscoring the Church’s firm rejection of hatred directed at the Jewish people.
Reflecting on the meaning of Christmas amid tragedy, Pope Leo pointed to the Nativity as a reminder of God’s closeness to humanity. In the poverty of Bethlehem, he said, Christians encounter “a mystery of humility and love” that invites deeper communion with God, according to Vatican News.
The Holy Father also highlighted symbols of hope displayed in St. Peter’s Square, noting that the Christmas tree represents life and hope that endures even in darkness, while its lights recall Jesus Christ as “the light of the world, Who came to dispel the darkness of sin and illuminate our path,” according to Vatican News.
During the same address, Pope Leo praised a Nativity Scene created by a Costa Rican artist that incorporates 28,000 ribbons symbolizing lives saved from abortion. He thanked the artist for adding to the Christmas message of peace “an appeal for the protection of life from the moment of conception,” according to Vatican News.
Concluding his remarks, the Pope encouraged all believers to allow Christ’s love to transform their hearts during the Christmas season. He invited the faithful, according to Vatican News, “to allow the tenderness of Baby Jesus to illuminate our lives” and to let God’s love remain alive within them, even amid suffering and sorrow.
In the face of violence and loss, Pope Leo’s words offered both a clear condemnation of hatred and a renewed call for prayer, peace, and conversion rooted in the hope of Christ.
Your support brings the truth to the world.
Catholic Online News exists because of donors like you. We are 100% funded by people who believe the world deserves real, uncensored news rooted in faith and truth — not corporate agendas. Your gift ensures millions can continue to access the news they can trust — stories that defend life, faith, family, and freedom.
When truth is silenced, your support speaks louder.
