Pope Leo calls for world free from persecution while honoring Holocaust victims
Pope Leo made an appeal for a world free from antisemitism, prejudice, oppression and persecution Wednesday before linking the message to International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which was observed the day before.
Speaking at the conclusion of his weekly audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, the pope recalled the Jan. 27 commemoration honoring the millions of Jews and others murdered.
Pope Leo called it an “annual occasion of painful remembrance” and urged the international community to remain vigilant so that “the horror of genocide may never again be inflicted upon any people” and so that societies rooted in “mutual respect and the common good” can be built.
RABBI ATTACKED ON NYC STREET ON INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
“I ask the Almighty for the gift of a world no longer marked by antisemitism, nor by prejudice, oppression and persecution against any human being,” the pope said.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945.
The Holocaust resulted in the systematic murder of 6 million Jews and millions of others during World War II.
ANTISEMITISM IS BECOMING ‘NORMAL,’ WITH JEWISH TEENS PAYING THE PRICE
On Jan. 27, as he left his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Leo also spoke to reporters.
When asked about rising tensions in the Middle East and the deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier to the region amid protests and killings in Iran at the hands of its regime, Leo emphasized the need “to pray hard for peace.”
“We little ones can raise our voices and always seek dialogue rather than violence to resolve problems, especially on this day that commemorates the Shoah,” he added.
In a post on X marking the Holocaust memorial, Pope Leo reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s commitment to the principles outlined in Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s declaration rejecting all forms of antisemitism.
WHY HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE MATTERS AS HISTORY IS REWRITTEN AND ANTISEMITISM SURGES
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
He stressed that the church “rejects any discrimination or harassment based on ethnicity, language, nationality or religion” and encouraged dialogue rather than violence as a means toward solving conflicts.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Vatican for comment.
Rabbi attacked on NYC street on International Holocaust Remembrance Day
A rabbi was attacked in New York City on Tuesday, coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in what local officials described as a “targeted act of hate.”
The assault happened just before 3 p.m. at an intersection in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, the New York City Police Department said.
Responding officers found a 32-year-old male victim who had been approached by an unknown individual who made antisemitic comments. After a verbal dispute, the individual then punched the victim in the chest and face, according to police. The victim, who community leaders identified as a rabbi, was treated for minor injuries, while officers took the suspect into custody.
Police identified the suspect as Eric Zafra-Grosso, 32, of Queens. He faces charges of hate crime assault, hate crime aggravated harassment and assault causing injury.
ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATOR ACCUSED OF VIOLENTLY ATTACKING JEWISH PROTESTERS LEARNS HIS FATE
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, New York State Sens. Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Leroy Comrie Jr., New York State Assemblymembers Andrew Hevesi and Sam Berger, and New York City Council Member Lynn Schulman issued a joint statement condemning the attack.
“We are outraged by the antisemitic attack that occurred in our district, in which a Rabbi was verbally harassed, physically assaulted, and threatened for being Jewish,” the statement said. “This was a targeted act of hate, and it has no place in our community or anywhere in New York City.”
NETANYAHU SOUNDS ALARM ON ANTISEMITISM AT HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY GATHERING
“No one should ever fear for their safety because of their religion, identity, or beliefs,” the lawmakers said in the statement. “The rise in antisemitic incidents across our city and country is deeply concerning, and this attack — occurring on Holocaust Remembrance Day — underscores the urgent responsibility we all share to confront hate before it escalates into violence.”
According to public data from the NYPD, there have been 22 reported hate crimes in New York City from the start of the year through Jan. 25.
Antisemitic incidents comprised 62% of all hate crimes in the city during the first quarter of 2025, according to a report released last month by former New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
“I was disgusted to learn of yet another antisemitic attack in New York City, this time on a rabbi in Queens during International Holocaust Remembrance Day,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., posted on X Wednesday morning. “As we commemorate the 6 million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust, we must recognize that antisemitism is still alive and on the rise today. It is imperative we do everything in our power to combat these rancid acts of antisemitism and hate in all its forms.”
Schumer added that he is “grateful” the rabbi is okay and thanked the NYPD.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted that he was “horrified” by the attack.
“On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, New Yorkers were confronted with a painful truth: antisemitism is not a thing of the past—it is a present danger that demands action from all of us,” Mamdani said. “There is no place for antisemitism in our city. I stand in solidarity with Jewish New Yorkers and my administration is committed to rooting out this hatred.”
New book claims Shakespeare was actually a Black, Jewish woman poet named Emilia Bassano
The author of a new book about William Shakespeare is claiming that the works of the famed playwright were actually written by a Black, Jewish woman.
The book, titled, “The Real Shakespeare: Emilia Bassano Willoughby” by Irene Coslet, argues that Shakespeare was actually Emilia Bassano, a Jewish, dark-skinned woman who was an English poet during the Elizabethan period.
The Amazon description for the book, which says it is set to be released March 30, questions if Shakespeare was indeed “a white man from Stratford.”
DAVID MARCUS: TURNS OUT, ‘6-7’ HAS A HISTORY THAT GOES BACK TO MEDIEVAL TIMES
“Debate still rages over the identity of the most beloved poet of all time and ‘father’ of the English-speaking world,” the description reads. “Generations of researchers have tried to dismantle the myth of the Stratford man. Now, in this intriguing and well-documented book, Irene Coslet conclusively demonstrates that Shakespeare was a not a man, but a woman: a dark-skinned lady, of Jewish origin, born into a family of Court musicians from Venice, and the mother of the English-speaking world. Her name was Emilia Bassano.”
According to the description, Coslet’s conclusions are based on “re-examination of often-overlooked historical documents, shrewd, chilling, and profound, this volume offers extensive evidence that Emilia was the author of the canon.”
The description also says the book is not just about the debate over whom the writings of Shakespeare should be attributed to, but “about the condition of women at the time Shakespeare was writing. It explains that feminism already existed in Elizabethan and Jacobean England. It reveals not only that Shakespeare was a woman, but also that she defended women. It reintegrates Emilia in the context of the time, for example, by exploring the relationship between Emilia and Queen Elizabeth I.”
ST PAUL PASTOR DENOUNCES ANTI-ICE AGITATORS WHO DISRUPTED CHURCH SERVICE, SAYS ‘WE’RE HERE TO WORSHIP JESUS’
Shakespeare, who lived from 1564 to 1616, is perhaps the most famous writer in the English language. His poetry and plays continue to be taught and performed centuries after his death.
Given his fame and the depth of his work, his life has been the subject of extensive analysis, leading at times to conspiracy theories that he was a fraud or was a pen name for another person.
Historical records indicate Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18, and had three children with her, Susanna, Hamnet and Judith.
Fox News Digital reached out to Coslet’s publisher for comment.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Ted Cruz urges US to arm Iranian protesters as militias threaten ‘total war’ against America
Sen. Ted Cruz called for the U.S. to arm Iranian protesters Tuesday as unrest continues inside the nation and Iran-backed militias issued threats against Washington.
“We should be arming the protesters in Iran. NOW,” Cruz wrote in a post on X.
“For the Iranian people to overthrow the Ayatollah — a tyrant who routinely chants ‘death to America’ — would make America much, much safer,” the Texas Republican added.
Cruz was responding to another post from Tehran Bureau, which cited a source inside Iran detailing what was described as a rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground as security forces continued to crack down on demonstrations.
IRAN WILL RETALIATE ‘WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE’ IF US ATTACKS, SENIOR DIPLOMAT WARNS
“From trusted source in Tehran: Tell all of your friends [abroad] — everyone you know: there is absolutely nothing else we can do here inside Iran,” the post read.
“They are killing people in such ways, they’ve descended upon people so brutally, they’re attacking us in such ways… We’ve lost so many lives that no one dares go out anymore. They shoot directly with bullets. They kill outright. And even after killing, they come and behead you, and do countless other violent things to you,” it continued.
“Going out into the streets is literally suicide. It’s not about bravery anymore. It’s madness. You go out and they shoot you point-blank. They don’t even ask why you came. They just kill you,” the post continued. “There is absolutely no way for us to gather unless we had weapons, unless we were armed like them. Otherwise they have weapons everywhere.”
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, activist groups estimate that more than 6,000 people have been killed in Iran, with additional cases still under review.
The protests began in late December amid widespread anger over economic hardship, political repression and corruption, according to reports.
IRAN REGIME REPORTEDLY ISSUED NATIONWIDE SHOOT-TO-KILL ORDERS AS PROTEST DEATH TOLL SURGES
Cruz’s post came after armed militias aligned with Iran warned the U.S. they would retaliate against any American attack on the Islamic Republic, as the Trump administration moved forces into the region.
Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq said it was prepared for “total war” if the U.S. attacked Iran, according to The Associated Press.
Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, the group’s leader, said the “enemies” of the Islamic Republic would face “the bitterest forms of death.”
IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER ACKNOWLEDGES THOUSANDS KILLED AS TRUMP CALLS FOR NEW LEADERSHIP: REPORTS
“You will taste every form of deadly suffering, nothing of you will remain in our region, and we will strike terror in your hearts,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthis also threatened to restart attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, releasing a video Monday showing a ship engulfed in flames, captioned: “Soon,” The Associated Press reported.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, President Donald Trump said Iran appeared to be seeking negotiations with the U.S. amid the growing military buildup, telling Axios, “They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk.”
The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East on Monday as unrest inside Iran continued to escalate.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Sen. Ted Cruz for comment.
Duke Divinity School offers course asking, can ‘theology be queered?’
A course offered by Duke Divinity School is exploring “queer theology,” and whether “theology can be queered.”
The course, “From Baptismal Font to Queer Theology,” “examines and excavates ‘queer’ in relationship to theology and theory.”
Offered by the Durham, North Carolina-based school, the course description asks questions such as, “Is queer driven by identity politics, an umbrella term for sexual identity, gender identity, antinormativity politics, social locations, or is queer descriptive of something entirely different?”
MOST RADICAL COURSES, CURRICULUM THAT RECEIVED FEDERAL FUNDING IN 2025
Other questions to be examined include, “Does queer have an agenda? Secondly, this course seeks to answer the question of whether or not theology can be queered? What would that result, if that is something that is possible? What is queer theology? Is queer theology even possible?”
According to the course page, students will “develop strategies for asking questions in a way that broadens the discussion of queerness and theology for a productive intervention in the discipline of constructive theology seeking to hold faithfully to the intersecting realities of church, tradition, and scripture.”
The school’s website says, “Grounded in Christian Scripture and theology and guided by our desire to embody a faithful witness in a changing world, we seek to cultivate innovative approaches to ministry in its many forms.”
The course was flagged in an article by Campus Reform.
UNIVERSITY DROPS JOB POSTING AFTER DEI REQUIREMENT EXPOSED, PROFESSOR SAYS ‘I WOULD NOT BE HIRED’ TODAY
The school adds that it strives for a theological vision “that is neither narrow nor homogeneous, but one that is deeply rooted in critical engagement with Scripture and honors a range of theological traditions in conversation with a plurality of historical, geographic, and social settings.”
Another offered course is called “Queering the Old Testament” which explores “ways to interpret the Old Testament that acknowledge the diversity of gender expressions and honor the experiences and hermeneutical perspectives of sexual minorities and gender-nonconforming individuals.”
Fox News Digital reached out to a representative of the school for comment.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY NAMES NEW PRESIDENT THAT WILL TAKE OVER IN JULY 2026 AMID FEDERAL SCRUTINY
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP