Vatican City

Today is the 70th anniversary of that sad event, which happened during the nights of Nov. 9-10, 1938, when Nazi fury was unleashed against the Jews in Germany. Shops, offices, residences and synagogues were attacked and many people were also killed, beginning the systematic and violent persecution of German Jews that ended with the Shoah. Today I still am pained over what happened during those tragic circumstances. The memory of these things must serve to prevent similar horrors from ever happening again and must lead us to dedicate ourselves, at every level, to fight against every form of antisemitism and discrimination, educating younger generations in respect and mutual acceptance. I invite you to pray for the victims of that time and to join with me in demonstrating a deep solidarity with the Jewish world.