In the streets of Rome, flags fly at half-mast. Catholics worldwide mourn Pope Francis, a pontiff remembered for his humility, embrace of the poor, and efforts to reform the Church. His advocates point to his compassion during the refugee crisis, his environmental advocacy, and his attempts to confront sexual abuse within the Church’s walls.
Yet behind this veneer of humility lies a troubling record when it comes to Israel. In 2014, Francis visited both Yad Vashem (Israel’s official memorial to the Holocaust victims) and the separation barrier (the security fence Israel built to prevent terrorist attacks during the Second Intifada). At the separation barrier, Francis was photographed resting his head against the wall in prayer – mimicking the posture of Jews at the Western Wall – creating a false moral equivalence between a security measure that saves Israeli lives and Judaism’s holiest site. This gesture deeply offended many Israelis and Jews worldwide.
When visiting Judea and Samaria, he bypassed Israeli sovereignty by entering through Jordan instead. In 2015, he warmly received Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, reportedly calling him an “angel of peace” – a bewildering description of a man who glorifies terrorism and funds the families of suicide bombers. That same year, the Vatican under Francis formally recognized the “State of Palestine,” undermining peace efforts and dismissing Jewish historical rights in Jerusalem.
Even after Hamas’s October 7 massacre – the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust – Francis quickly pivoted from condemning the initial slaughter to criticizing Israel’s defensive response as “cruelty” and even labeling Israeli airstrikes as “terrorism.” In his final months, he publicly questioned whether Israel’s campaign constituted “genocide,” inflammatory language that emboldened Israel’s enemies.
Is it possible for a religious leader to be remembered fondly despite actively opposing God’s chosen nation? Can papal kindness in other spheres outweigh hostility toward the children of Abraham? Does the good Francis accomplished in his life compensate for his persistent antagonism toward Israel?
Genesis 12:3 stands as one of Scripture’s most decisive declarations: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). This divine principle hasn’t expired. It wasn’t nullified by the New Testament. God established an everlasting covenant with Abraham’s descendants that remains in force today.
The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that God’s covenant with Israel is olam – everlasting. God’s relationship with the Jewish people isn’t a temporary arrangement but the backbone of His redemptive plan. When world leaders position themselves against Israel, they aren’t merely expressing a political preference – they’re challenging God’s sworn word.
Why does God make blessing and curse completely dependent on how one relates to Israel? Is God being rigid?
No – God is being clear. The treatment of Israel functions as a spiritual litmus test. When a religious leader consistently sides against Israel while embracing its enemies, something fundamental is revealed about their understanding of Scripture and God’s purposes.
The pope’s antagonism toward Israel betrayed not a secondary flaw but a foundational one. In his 2013 apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, Francis wrote: “We hold the Jewish people in special regard because their covenant with God has never been revoked, for ‘the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable’ (Rom 11:29).” Yet his actions directly contradicted these words. Francis could not truly accept that the Church’s 1,900-year replacement theology had been wrong. He could not humble himself before the miracle of Israel’s rebirth – the clearest evidence in our time that God keeps His covenantal promises.
In the Book of Numbers, we read how God turned intended curses into blessings for Israel. The prophet Balaam declared: “How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?” (Numbers 23:8). Yet Francis did what even Balaam would not do – he positioned himself against the survival of the Jewish state.
When then-Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni addressed the Vatican’s recognition of Palestine, she stated bluntly: “I regret that the Vatican decided to participate in a step that blatantly ignores the history of the Jewish people in Israel and Jerusalem.” This wasn’t merely diplomatic frustration – it highlighted how Francis’s Vatican systematically elevated Palestinian narratives while dismissing Israel’s security concerns and historical rights.
This pattern persisted throughout his papacy. Time and again, Israel expressed dismay at the Vatican’s tendency to privilege politicized Palestinian narratives while brushing aside Israeli concerns. Whether during the canonization of Palestinian nuns or in statements following clashes in Jerusalem, the Holy See consistently seemed more interested in defending Palestinian identity than acknowledging Israel’s security challenges.
The principle at stake is not whether Francis performed acts of charity elsewhere. The question is whether someone can truly align themselves with God’s purposes while opposing His covenant people. When we read throughout Scripture that God identifies so closely with Israel that those who touch them “touch the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8), we understand that this relationship defines how God evaluates human leadership.
Francis’s care for the poor and environmental advocacy cannot redeem his hostility toward Israel. His charity work is rendered hollow by his rejection of God’s foundational covenant. When standing before God’s judgment throne, no amount of good works can outweigh betrayal of Israel. The treatment of God’s chosen people isn’t merely one factor among many – it defines one’s entire spiritual legacy. By positioning himself against Israel, Francis opposed God Himself.
The Bible leaves no room for compromise: those who curse Abraham’s descendants align themselves against God, regardless of their titles or accomplishments. Francis will not be remembered as the humble reformer he aspired to be, but as someone who perpetuated the medieval Christian arrogance toward the Jewish people.
As the College of Cardinals prepares to select a new pope, believers must pray for leadership that honors Scripture’s clear teaching. The next pontiff faces a choice: continue Francis’s antagonism toward Israel or align with God’s unchanging covenant. For those who take Genesis 12:3 seriously, only one path leads to blessing.
