← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Stigmata
Thread ID: 17973 | Posts: 3 | Started: 2005-04-26
2005-04-26 12:58 | User Profile
Pope reaches out to Jews From correspondents in Rome
April 22, 2005
POPE Benedict XVI has vowed to foster dialogue with Jews, Rome's Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni said today, in a sign of the new pontiff's stated desire to work toward better inter-faith relations.
Rabbi Di Segni quoted a letter from the pope, who said he had "trust in the help of the Almighty", in which he pledged to continue and intensify contacts with Jews begun by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.
"I trust in the help of the Almighty to continue and strengthen the dialogue and collaboration with the sons and daughters of the Jewish people," the pope said in the message, dated yesterday.
Jewish leaders in Israel and beyond have saluted the election of Benedict, saying he was a friend of the Jewish people and calling on him to continue the fight against anti-Semitism.
John Paul II, the first pope to visit a synagogue, was widely admired in Israel for his work in reconciling the Roman Catholic Church with the Jewish people, a policy his successor was expected to continue.
Benedict's election was also welcomed in the Muslim world, where John Paul II had already made a significant impact by also becoming the first pope to visit a mosque.
The new pope "is well known as a friend of the Jewish people. I hope and I pray that he will follow the path of Pope John Paul II", the chief rabbi of Tel Aviv, Israel Lau, said yesterday.
Many Jews suggest Benedict's German roots, rather than being a cause for concern, would in fact bolster his desire to battle anti-Semitism.
"Given his historical experience, we hope the new pope will be faithful to the commitment of the Catholic church to fight anti-Semitism," Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said.
"We also hope that the new pope will continue to work towards rapprochement between the state of Israel and the Vatican as well as the Catholic church and the Jewish people."
His comments were echoed by Abraham Foxman, the head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a New York-based Jewish lobby group.
"Having lived through World War II, Cardinal Ratzinger has great sensitivity to Jewish history and the Holocaust," he said.
"He has shown this sensitivity countless times, in meetings with Jewish leadership and in important statements condemning anti-Semitism and expressing profound sorrow for the Holocaust."
In his first mass as pope yesterday, Benedict said he was committed to "open and sincere dialogue" with followers of other religions.
"I address everyone with simplicity and affection to ensure that the Church wants to continue to weave an open and sincere dialogue with them in the search for the true good of man and society," he said.
The new pope's conservative outlook, which has caused controversy in the Western world, appears not to overly concern religious leaders in the Middle East. Jordan's King Abdullah II, a direct descendant of Islam's prophet, Mohammed, voiced his trust in the new pope's "wisdom and courage to go forward and continue his predecessor's mission with strength and faith to bring about world peace and reinforce respect between religions".
[url="http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=2993499&storyid=3004150"]http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=2993499&storyid=3004150[/url]
2005-04-26 13:47 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Stigmata]Pope reaches out to Jews From correspondents in Rome
April 22, 2005
POPE Benedict XVI has vowed to foster dialogue with Jews, Rome's Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni said today, in a sign of the new pontiff's stated desire to work toward better inter-faith relations.
Rabbi Di Segni quoted a letter from the pope, who said he had "trust in the help of the Almighty", in which he pledged to continue and intensify contacts with Jews begun by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.
"I trust in the help of the Almighty to continue and strengthen the dialogue and collaboration with the sons and daughters of the Jewish people," the pope said in the message, dated yesterday.
Jewish leaders in Israel and beyond have saluted the election of Benedict, saying he was a friend of the Jewish people and calling on him to continue the fight against anti-Semitism.
John Paul II, the first pope to visit a synagogue, was widely admired in Israel for his work in reconciling the Roman Catholic Church with the Jewish people, a policy his successor was expected to continue.
Benedict's election was also welcomed in the Muslim world, where John Paul II had already made a significant impact by also becoming the first pope to visit a mosque.
The new pope "is well known as a friend of the Jewish people. I hope and I pray that he will follow the path of Pope John Paul II", the chief rabbi of Tel Aviv, Israel Lau, said yesterday.
Many Jews suggest Benedict's German roots, rather than being a cause for concern, would in fact bolster his desire to battle anti-Semitism.
"Given his historical experience, we hope the new pope will be faithful to the commitment of the Catholic church to fight anti-Semitism," Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said.
"We also hope that the new pope will continue to work towards rapprochement between the state of Israel and the Vatican as well as the Catholic church and the Jewish people."
His comments were echoed by Abraham Foxman, the head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a New York-based Jewish lobby group.
"Having lived through World War II, Cardinal Ratzinger has great sensitivity to Jewish history and the Holocaust," he said.
"He has shown this sensitivity countless times, in meetings with Jewish leadership and in important statements condemning anti-Semitism and expressing profound sorrow for the Holocaust."
In his first mass as pope yesterday, Benedict said he was committed to "open and sincere dialogue" with followers of other religions.
"I address everyone with simplicity and affection to ensure that the Church wants to continue to weave an open and sincere dialogue with them in the search for the true good of man and society," he said.
The new pope's conservative outlook, which has caused controversy in the Western world, appears not to overly concern religious leaders in the Middle East. Jordan's King Abdullah II, a direct descendant of Islam's prophet, Mohammed, voiced his trust in the new pope's "wisdom and courage to go forward and continue his predecessor's mission with strength and faith to bring about world peace and reinforce respect between religions".
[url="http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=2993499&storyid=3004150"]http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=2993499&storyid=3004150[/url][/QUOTE]
Go find another forum.
2005-04-26 14:41 | User Profile
Stigmata,
Catholicism and the other traditional Christian denominations are not the real problem. You should reserve your contempt for the "Left Behind" types -- "Christian Zionists" of the Jerry Falwell variety. They are a far greater threat than even the most politically liberal of the traditional Christians.