World Jewish Congress official: ‘We’ll miss Pope’s wisdom and friendship’

Pope Francis “never hesitated to condemn anti-Semitism,” whose words “were a shield for countless Jewish communities,” and “we will miss his wisdom, his friendship, and his unwavering moral clarity,” says Viktor Eichner, who represents the World Jewish Congress at the Vatican, in an interview with Vatican News remembering the late Pope.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

VATICAN CITY — “In recent years, as we face the surge of antisemitism around the world, Pope Francis never wavered. He condemned hatred in all forms and urged political and faith leaders to protect the dignity of every human being.”

This was the perspective offered by Viktor Eichner, the Head of the World Jewish Congress Representative Office to the Holy See in Rome, in an interview with Vatican News.

Representing the Congress at the Vatican, he works to foster relations between Jewish communities and the Catholic Church. Eichner, who in 2023 was tasked by the senior leadership of the WJC with opening the World Jewish Congress Representative Office to the Holy See, also serves as the European Manager of the Congress’ Jewish Diplomatic Corps.

Feel a personal loss

When Pope Francis became Pope in 2013, he assured the Jewish community that he’s committed to building bridges.

From the moment he stepped into that role, he suggested, Pope Francis made it clear that the Catholic Church and the Jewish people would work toward “a shared responsibility for the future.”

“As we mourn his passing, we at the World Jewish Congress,” he reaffirmed, “feel a personal loss.”

Will miss his friendship and wisdom

“We will miss his wisdom, his friendship, and his unwavering moral clarity,” he said, “but we will honor his legacy by continuing the work he believed in, dialogue, dignity, and the peace among other peoples of faiths.”

In particular, Eichner recalled that Claudio Epelman, WJC Commissioner for Interfaith Dialogue, was a close personal friend of Pope Francis, and that friendship dated back to when Bergoglio had met him as archivist of Buenos Aires.

‘His door always open to Jewish community’

Calling the late Pope “a spiritual leader devoted to social justice and human dignity,” Eichner observed that even back in Buenos Aires, “his door was always open to the Jewish community.”

Moreover, Mr. Eichner remembered the times Pope Francis attended Holocaust commemorations and visited Synagogues, stressing, “he never hesitated to speak out against antisemitism.”

Pope Francis, he remembered, “knew that dialogue between Jews and Catholics was not just a diplomatic formality,” but “a moral obligation born of history, pain, and hope.”

“I had the privilege to meet him in person where I felt that through his words and deeds,” he said.

“Whether visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem, lighting a Hanukkah candle of his Jewish friends, or denouncing antisemitism as a sin,” the WJC official remembered, “he showed that this relationship was not just theological, it was deeply human.”

‘Shield for countless Jewish communities’

Pope Francis, he highlighted, “reminded the world that to be Antisemitic is to be Antichristian.”

Those words, Eichner said, were not just symbolic, but “were a shield for countless Jewish communities.”

“While there were moments of difficulty, particularly in recent months,” he said, “I remain deeply appreciative of his warmth, humility, and unwavering dedication to meaningful engagement between faith communities.”

Trust among religions

Eichner concluded by expressing his hope that the late Pope Francis’ memory be a blessing, and “may his life continue to serve as an example to all.”

“May Pope Francis’ life,” he said, “continue to serve as an example to all.”

Vatican News