Pope
Francis: Christians and Jews, brothers and friends
(Vatican
Radio) This week members of the International Council of Christians and Jews
have been meeting to discuss “The 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate: The Past,
Present, and Future of the Christian-Jewish Relationship”, and it was on this
theme that Pope Francis addressed the participants on Tuesday in the Clementine
Hall in the Vatican.
He
told them that Nostra Aetate represented a definitive “yes” to the Jewish roots
of Christianity and an irrevocable “no” to anti-Semitism adding, that both
faith traditions were no longer strangers, but friends and brothers.
The
Holy Father said that in celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of this
document, “we are able to see the rich fruits which it has brought about
and to gratefully appraise Jewish-Catholic dialogue. He then added, “ in
this way, we can express our thanks to God for all the good which has been
realized in terms of friendship and mutual understanding these past fifty years.”
The
Pope underlined that despite different perspectives, both Christians and Jews
confess one God, Creator of the Universe and Lord of history. And he,
Pope Francis continued, “in his infinite goodness and wisdom, always blesses
our commitment to dialogue.”
Elaborating
further, the Holy Father explained that both faith traditions, “find their
foundation in the One God, the God of the Covenant, who reveals himself through
his Word.” “In seeking a right attitude towards God”, he Pope said,
“Christians turn to Christ as the fount of new life, and Jews to the teaching
of the Torah. This pattern of theological reflection on the relationship
between Judaism and Christianity arises precisely from Nostra Aetate and upon
this solid basis, he noted, can be developed yet further.
In
conclusion, Pope Francis stressed the importance the Holy See places on
relations with the Jewish community and praised the International Council of
Christians and Jews’ annual meetings, which he said, offer a notable
contribution to Jewish-Christian dialogue.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét