Pope Francis on Saturday reaffirmed Christians' special relationship with Jews amid rising antisemitism since the outbreak of the Gaza war in a letter to the Jews of Israel that he said was prompted by messages from Jewish organizations around the world. The letter served as fence-mending after Francis was criticized for his initial response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the AP reports. Francis said the Holy Land has been "cast into a spiral of unprecedented violence," part of what he referred to as "a sort of 'piecemeal world war,' with serious consequences on the lives of many...