Overview
- The Vatican said Dec. 17 that Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog during the Hanukkah and Christmas season.
- In the call, the pope cited the Dec. 14 Bondi Beach attack on a Hanukkah event in Sydney and restated the Church’s firm condemnation of antisemitism.
- Australian authorities classify the shooting as a terrorist act inspired by Islamic State ideology, with 15 people killed and some 17 still hospitalized.
- Pope Leo urged perseverance in peace efforts focused on Gaza and Lebanon and called for intensified humanitarian aid to suffering populations.
- The call capped earlier gestures that included a Dec. 15 condolence telegram signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin and prayers for the victims in Rome.