Pope Francis calls on Catholics and Jews to work
together for peace
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis
on Sunday became the third pope to visit Rome's synagogue in a sign of
continuing Catholic-Jewish friendship.
During the visit that
featured welcome speeches by prominent members of Rome's Jewish community and a
speech by the Pope, Francis greeted a number of people including several
Holocaust survivors.
Pope Francis recalled the
tragedy of the Holocaust and paid tribute to the over 2000
Jews who were deported by the Nazis from Rome in October 1943.
He said the past must serve
as a lesson for the present and for the future and said the Holocaust teaches
us that utmost vigilance is always needed to be able to take prompt action in
defense of human dignity and peace.
The visit follows that of
Pope Benedict XVI in January 2010 and the historic encounter of Pope Saint John
Paul II with former Rabbi Elio Toaff in 1986.
It also comes on the heels of
the publication, last December, of an important new document from the Vatican’s
Commission for religious relations with Jews, exploring the theological
developments during the past half century of dialogue between Catholics and
Jews.
During his speech to those
present Pope Francis highlighted how Catholic–Jewish relations are very close
to his heart. He spoke of how a spiritual bond has been created between the two
communities favouring the growth of a genuine friendship and giving life to a
shared commitment.
We share a unique and special
bond thanks to the Jewish roots of Christianity, he said, and we must feel like
brothers, united by the same God and by a rich common spiritual patrimony upon
which to build the future.
Pope Francis referred to the
Second Vatican Council’s Declaration “Nostra Aetate” which made possible the
systematic dialogue between the Catholic Church and Judaism and which set the
ground for Jewish-Catholic dialogue. He encouraged all those involved in this
dialogue to continue in this direction with discernment and perseverance.
The Pope also said that,
along with theological issues, we must not lose sight of the big challenges
facing the world today. He said Christians and Jews can and must offer humanity
the message of the Bible regarding the care of creation as well as always
promote and defend human life.
We must pray with insistence
to help us put into practice the logic of peace, reconciliation, forgiveness,
life, in Europe, the Holy Land, the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere in the
world. He concluded saying we have to be thankful for all that has been
realized in the last fifty years of Catholic-Jewish dialogue because between us
mutual understanding, mutual trust and friendship have grown and deepened.
Please find below Vatican
Radio’s translation of the Pope’s address:
I'm happy to be here today
with you in this Synagogue. I thank Dr. Di Segni, Mrs Durighello and Mr
Gattegna for their kind words. And I thank you all for your warm welcome,
thank you! Tada Toda Rabba, thank you!
During my first visit to this
synagogue as Bishop of Rome, I wish to express to you and to extend to all
Jewish communities, the fraternal greetings of peace of the whole Catholic
Church.
Our relations are very close
to my heart. When in Buenos Aires I used to go to the synagogues and meet the
communities gathered there, I used to follow Jewish festivities and
commemorations and give thanks to the Lord who gives us life and accompanies us
on the path of history. Over time, a spiritual bond has been created which has
favoured the birth of a genuine friendship and given life to a shared
commitment. In interreligious dialogue it is essential that we meet as brothers
and sisters before our Creator and to Him give praise, that we respect and
appreciate each other and try to collaborate. In Jewish-Christian dialogue
there is a unique and special bond thanks to the Jewish roots of Christianity:
Jews and Christians must therefore feel as brothers, united by the same God and
by a rich common spiritual patrimony (cf. Declaration. Nostra Aetate, 4 ), upon
which to build the future.
With this visit I follow in
the footsteps of my predecessors. Pope John Paul II came here thirty years ago,
on 13 April 1986; and Pope Benedict XVI was amongt you six years ago. On that
occasion John Paul II coined the beautiful description "elder
brothers", and in fact you are our brothers and sisters in the faith. We
all belong to one family, the family of God, who accompanies and protects us,
His people. Together, as Jews and as Catholics, we are called to take on our responsibilities
towards this city, giving first of all a spiritual contribution, and favouring
the resolution of various current problems. It is my hope that closeness,
mutual understanding and respect between our two communities continue to
grow. Thus, it is significant that I have come among you today, on January 17,
the day when the Italian Episcopal Conference celebrates the "Day of
dialogue between Catholics and Jews."
We have just commemorated the
50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration “Nostra Aetate”
which made possible the systematic dialogue between the Catholic Church and
Judaism. On 28 October last, in St. Peter's Square, I was able to greet a large
number of Jewish representatives to whom I said “Deserving of special gratitude
to God is the veritable transformation of Christian-Jewish relations in these
50 years. Indifference and opposition have changed into cooperation and
benevolence. From enemies and strangers we have become friends and brothers.
The Council, with the Declaration Nostra Aetate, has indicated the way: “yes”
to rediscovering Christianity’s Jewish roots; “no” to every form of
anti-Semitism and blame for every wrong, discrimination and persecution
deriving from it.” Nostra Aetate explicitly defined theologically for the first
time the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism. Of course it did not solve
all the theological issues that affect us, but we it provided an important
stimulus for further necessary reflections. In this regard, on 10 December
2015, the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews published a new
document that addresses theological issues that have emerged in recent decades
since the promulgation of “Nostra Aetate”. In fact, the theological dimension
of Jewish-Catholic dialogue deserves to be more thorough, and I wish to
encourage all those involved in this dialogue to continue in this direction,
with discernment and perseverance. From a theological point of view, it is
clear there is an inseparable bond between Christians and Jews. Christians, to
be able to understand themselves, cannot not refer to their Jewish roots, and
the Church, while professing salvation through faith in Christ, recognizes the
irrevocability of the Covenant and God’s constant and faithful love for Israel
.
Along with theological
issues, we must not lose sight of the big challenges facing the world today.
That of an integral ecology is now a priority, and us Christians and Jews
can and must offer humanity the message of the Bible regarding the care of
creation. Conflicts, wars, violence and injustices open deep wounds in humanity
and call us to strengthen a commitment for peace and justice. Violence by man
against man is in contradiction with any religion worthy of that name, and in
particular with the three great monotheistic religions. Life is sacred, a gift
of God. The fifth commandment of the Decalogue says: "Thou shalt not
kill" (Exodus 20:13). God is the God of life, and always wants to promote
and defend it; and we, created in his image and likeness, are called upon to do
the same. Every human being, as a creature of God, is our brother, regardless
of his or her origin or religious affiliation. Each person must be viewed with
favour, just as God does, who offers his merciful hand to all, regardless of
their faith and of their belonging, and who cares for those who most need him:
the poor, the sick, the marginalized , the helpless. Where life is in danger,
we are called even more to protect it. Neither violence nor death will have the
last word before God, the God of love and life. We must pray with
insistence to help us put into practice the logic of peace, of reconciliation,
of forgiveness, of life, in Europe, in the Holy Land, in the Middle East, in
Africa and elsewhere in the world.
In its history, the Jewish
people has had to experience violence and persecution, to the point of
extermination of European Jews during the Holocaust. Six million people,
just because they belonged to the Jewish people, were victims of the most
inhumane barbarity perpetrated in the name of an ideology that wanted to
replace God with man. On October 16, 1943, over a thousand men, women and
children Rome’s Jewish community were deported to Auschwitz. Today I wish to
remember them in a special way: their suffering, their fear, their tears must never
be forgotten. And the past must serve as a lesson for the present and for the
future. The Holocaust teaches us that utmost vigilance is always needed to be
able to take prompt action in defense of human dignity and peace. I would like
to express my closeness to every witness of the Holocaust who is still living;
and I address a special greeting to those who are present here today.
Dear brothers, we really have
to be thankful for all that has been realized in the last fifty years, because
between us mutual understanding, mutual trust and friendship have grown and
deepened. Let us pray together to the Lord, to lead the way to a better future.
God has plans of salvation for us, as the prophet Jeremiah says: "I know
well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the Lord - plans for your
welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope" (Jer 29 ,
11). “The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you,
and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!
(cf. 6.24 to 26 Nm). Shalom Alechem!
(Linda Bordoni)
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