Pope Francis condemns religiously inspired violence as he visits synagogue

Pope Francis denounced all religiously inspired violence during a visit to Rome’s main synagogue on Sunday, joining the oldest Jewish community in the diaspora in a sign of interfaith friendship at a time of Islamic extremist attacks around the globe.

During a visit marked by tight security and historic continuity, Francis also rejected all forms of anti-Semitism and called for “maximum vigilance” and early intervention to prevent another Holocaust.