By AFPMore by this AuthorVatican CityExperts have urged Pope Francis to take greater care when referring to "hypocritical" Pharisees, a stereotype that fuelled centuries of bad blood between Catholics and Jews. But for centuries, Jesus's Jewish origins were obscured and the Jews were held collectively responsible for his death. The people didn't matter to them: the Law mattered to them," Francis said of Pharisees in a homily in October. For many Jews, however, the Pharisees are the founders of Rabbinic Judaism and therefore their spiritual ancestors," the Argentinian-born pontiff wrote. Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka, an old friend of the pope, said Francis would now know "how to present the Pharisees".

Source: Daily Nation May 12, 2019 09:22 UTC