Rabbis, scholars thank Pope for sowing friendship amid animosity
February 16, 2024
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CWN Editor's Note: Two weeks after Pope Francis condemned anti-Semitism in a letter to Jews in Israel, a group of rabbis and scholars has thanked him for his “commitment to actively resist anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism, which have recently gained intensity in dimensions unknown to most of us during our lifetime.”
“The Church’s effort to cultivate understanding where there was once rivalry, friendship, where there was once animosity, and empathy where there was once contempt, has transformed our communities and left an everlasting imprint on our histories,” the signatories wrote. “We find in Your Holiness’ letter an affirmation of this commitment, evermore significant at this time when instability threatens even relationships which have been cultivated for many decades.”
The letter alluded to current tensions in Jewish-Catholic relations. “We are convinced that our relations are solid enough to overcome them and to move forward, but there is still much work to be done,” the signatories wrote.
The Vatican did not publish the full text of the letter, but did release the names of six signatories, including Professor Karma Ben Johanan of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, described by the Vatican as the letter’s coordinator.
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