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Statement from the Conference of European Rabbis on the election of Benedict XVI as the new Pope
European Rabbis: New Pope has always championed dialogue with JewsParis, April 20 - Europe’s senior rabbis praised Pope Benedict XVI as “a long-time advocate of positive dialogue” in a statement issued by the Conference of European Rabbis on Monday. “Pope Benedict XVI is a worthy successor to Pope John Paul II, a man who led the way in creating a new and positive era in relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism. Like the late Pope, he too is a long-time advocate of positive dialogue,” said the Conference’s president, Chief Rabbi of France Joseph Sitruk. “The remarkable progress made by the Catholic Church in recent years, typified by the late Pope’s historic visit to the State of Israel in 2000, could not have occurred without the strong theological support of Cardinal Ratzinger who, in many senses, can be described as one of the architects of the new phase of Catholic-Jewish rapprochement which started in the aftermath of Vatican II,” Rabbi Sitruk added. The Conference of European Rabbis federates rabbis from around 40 states and includes the Chief Rabbis and senior rabbinical judges from across the continent. Chief Rabbi Sitruk said he was sure that “all the advances initiated by Pope John Paul II in his relations with the Jewish faith will find a loyal continuation in the work of his successor.” “John Paul II himself knew that he was only starting on a path of exponential scope where all those of monotheistic faith, Jews, Muslims and Christians, would find their own ways to continue the same route in order to live together with the greatest mutual respect to build a true community of human brotherhood,” he said. For more information, please contact: |
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