Pope Francis This morning, Pope Francis met with members of Rome’s Jewish community to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the Nazi deportation of Rome’s Jews. According to Radio Vatican, the pope took the occasion to express his feelings of closeness to the Jewish people. In his remarks, Pope Francis also issued a ringing denunciation of anti-Semitism: “We will remember in a few days the 70th anniversary of the deportation of the Jews of Rome. We will remember and pray for the many innocent victims of human barbarity , for their families,” said Pope Francis. “It will also be an opportunity to keep vigilant so that, under any pretext, any forms of intolerance and anti-Semitism in Rome and the rest of the world not come back to life,” the Holy Father said. “I’ve said it other times and I would like to repeat it now: It’s a contradiction that a Christian is anti-Semitic: His roots are Jewish,” said the Pope. “A Christian cannot be anti-Semitic ! Let Anti-Semitism be banished from the heart and life of every man and every woman!” The pope then praised the courage of those Christians who had the courage to “do … the right thing” at the time and protect “their brother, who was in danger.” It does not appear, from Radio Vatican’s report, that Pope Francis commented on those, either in the church or elsewhere who did not do the right thing. To that extent, his comments might appear to reflect a selective memory. Nevertheless, the pope’s condemnation of anti-Semitism is both firm and eloquent. At a time when anti-Christian bigotry is putting numerous communities at risk, especially in the Middle East, Pope Francis’ comments are especially welcome. And we may hope that one day Christophobia will be banished from every heart as well.