Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, met with Pope Francis on October 19 and asked him to work for the release of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas during its October 7 invasion of Israel.
“We ask Your Holiness to use your power, to use your strength, to get these hostages released,” said Lauder. “You may be the only person who has the moral authority to do this. I believe that God in his way has brought us here today to ask you to do this, on behalf of all the Jewish people in the world.”
The Pontiff has publicly appealed for the hostages’ release.