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Zenit News Agency, Italy
Oct 20 2004
Catholics and Jews Appeal Jointly for Sake of Jerusalem
"We Are Partners in Articulating Moral Values," Says Panel
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 19, 2004 (ZENIT.org).- A Catholic-Jewish panel
made an appeal for respect of the sacred character of Jerusalem as
well as of the various religious communities that live in the Holy
City.
The exhortation was made in a press statement after the meeting of
the bilateral committee of the Holy See's Commission for Religious
Relations with the Jews and the Grand Rabbinate of Israel, held at
Grottaferrata, near Rome, from Sunday through today.
The theme of the meeting was "A Common View of Social Justice and
Ethical Conduct." According to the text, the participants express
that "there is not wide enough awareness in our respective
communities of the momentous change that has taken place in the
relationship between Catholics and Jews."
They stated: "We are not enemies, but unequivocal partners in
articulating the essential moral values for the survival and welfare
of human society."
After pointing out that "Jerusalem has a sacred character for all the
children of Abraham," the Jewish and Catholic representatives appeal
to "all relevant authorities to respect this character and to prevent
actions which offend the sensibilities of religious communities that
reside in Jerusalem and hold her dear."
The statement is signed by six members of the Jewish delegation, five
of them rabbis, among whom are Shar Yishuv Cohen, former chief rabbi
of Haifa, and David Rosen, international director for religious
affairs.
The Catholic delegation was led by Cardinal Jorge María Mejía,
retired archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church, as well as
Cardinal Georges Cottier, former theologian of the Pontifical
Household.
"We call on religious authorities to protest publicly when actions of
disrespect towards religious persons, symbols and Holy Sites are
committed, such as the desecration of cemeteries and the recent
assault on the Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem," the committee
members affirmed.
"We call on them to educate their communities to behave with respect
and dignity towards people and towards their attachment to their
faith," they concluded.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Commission for Religious
Relations with the Jews, and Ricardo Segni, chief rabbi of Rome, were
to analyze the state of the present Jewish-Catholic dialogue during a
conference organized this afternoon at the Gregorian University.
On the 30th anniversary of the Commission for Religious Relations
with the Jews, established by Paul VI, Cardinal Kasper, accompanied
by a delegation of the commission, will visit the Synagogue of Rome
this Friday afternoon.
In statements on Vatican Radio, Father Norbert Hofmann, secretary of
the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews,
acknowledged that in the wake of the Second Vatican Council,
Catholics are discovering the Jewish roots of their faith.
"Jesus was Jewish, the Mother of God was Jewish, the apostles were
Jews," he said. "Christianity has Jewish roots and we are
increasingly rediscovering what we have in common."
Oct 20 2004
Catholics and Jews Appeal Jointly for Sake of Jerusalem
"We Are Partners in Articulating Moral Values," Says Panel
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 19, 2004 (ZENIT.org).- A Catholic-Jewish panel
made an appeal for respect of the sacred character of Jerusalem as
well as of the various religious communities that live in the Holy
City.
The exhortation was made in a press statement after the meeting of
the bilateral committee of the Holy See's Commission for Religious
Relations with the Jews and the Grand Rabbinate of Israel, held at
Grottaferrata, near Rome, from Sunday through today.
The theme of the meeting was "A Common View of Social Justice and
Ethical Conduct." According to the text, the participants express
that "there is not wide enough awareness in our respective
communities of the momentous change that has taken place in the
relationship between Catholics and Jews."
They stated: "We are not enemies, but unequivocal partners in
articulating the essential moral values for the survival and welfare
of human society."
After pointing out that "Jerusalem has a sacred character for all the
children of Abraham," the Jewish and Catholic representatives appeal
to "all relevant authorities to respect this character and to prevent
actions which offend the sensibilities of religious communities that
reside in Jerusalem and hold her dear."
The statement is signed by six members of the Jewish delegation, five
of them rabbis, among whom are Shar Yishuv Cohen, former chief rabbi
of Haifa, and David Rosen, international director for religious
affairs.
The Catholic delegation was led by Cardinal Jorge María Mejía,
retired archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church, as well as
Cardinal Georges Cottier, former theologian of the Pontifical
Household.
"We call on religious authorities to protest publicly when actions of
disrespect towards religious persons, symbols and Holy Sites are
committed, such as the desecration of cemeteries and the recent
assault on the Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem," the committee
members affirmed.
"We call on them to educate their communities to behave with respect
and dignity towards people and towards their attachment to their
faith," they concluded.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Commission for Religious
Relations with the Jews, and Ricardo Segni, chief rabbi of Rome, were
to analyze the state of the present Jewish-Catholic dialogue during a
conference organized this afternoon at the Gregorian University.
On the 30th anniversary of the Commission for Religious Relations
with the Jews, established by Paul VI, Cardinal Kasper, accompanied
by a delegation of the commission, will visit the Synagogue of Rome
this Friday afternoon.
In statements on Vatican Radio, Father Norbert Hofmann, secretary of
the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews,
acknowledged that in the wake of the Second Vatican Council,
Catholics are discovering the Jewish roots of their faith.
"Jesus was Jewish, the Mother of God was Jewish, the apostles were
Jews," he said. "Christianity has Jewish roots and we are
increasingly rediscovering what we have in common."