April 21, 2025 - On behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism – and with profound sadness – I extend our condolences to the Catholic community worldwide on the passing of Pope Francis, a visionary leader whose commitment to compassion, justice, and interfaith understanding has profoundly impacted our world. I was honored to meet with His Holiness on several occasions and always left inspired by his deep faith and care for all people.
In his pursuit of social justice, Pope Francis addressed global inequalities and extended a compassionate hand to marginalized communities. Notably, he spoke out against laws criminalizing homosexuality, stating unequivocally that “God loves all his children just as they are.” His inclusive approach fostered a more embracing environment within the Catholic Church and beyond. He was one of the first global faith leaders to prioritize climate change with his 2015 encyclical Laudato si, which framed the climate crisis as a deeply religious matter.
In May of 2017, I participated in a conference of faith leaders at the Vatican to address the global plight of refugees and migrants. As part of the conference, I had a private audience with the pontiff, which I will cherish all my days. His spiritual depth and warmth exuded from his entire being. Ever since his early years in Argentina, he had an abiding, lifelong affinity for the Jewish community, so our conversation flowed easily. With deep empathy, he reflected on the conference’s theme by underscoring the religious imperative from Scripture to “love the stranger.” I shared with the Pope that that the word in Hebrew for stranger also means migrant, so caring for tens of millions of migrants and refugees was, and remains, a central religious imperative.
The relationship between the Catholic and Jewish communities flourished under Pope Francis' guidance. He honored the shared heritage of our faiths and took meaningful steps to heal historical wounds, reinforcing a path toward mutual respect and collaboration. We especially appreciated Pope Francis’s consistent calls for dialogue and mutual respect between Israelis and Palestinians, emphasizing the necessity of a two-state solution that ensures security and self-determination for both peoples.
Pope Francis' legacy will transcend religious boundaries. He reminded us of our shared responsibility to uphold human dignity, pursue justice, and strive for peace. In his memory, we reaffirm our commitment to these enduring values.
At the end of my meeting with Pope Francis, he asked me to pray for him. I said it would be the honor of my life to offer a blessing for him, but I could only do so if, in return, the Pope would bless me. I had imagined that it was the sacred role of the Pope to bless others, but his humility and openheartedness allowed him to take in the love and prayers of everyone he met.
In Jewish tradition, when a righteous soul dies, we say, based on Proverbs 10:7, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing.” With Pope Francis, we are certain that his memory will be a source of inspiration to all people of faith as we continue his extraordinary life’s work of building a world rooted in love, justice, and peace.