杏MAP导航 to B鈥檔ai B鈥檙ith: Promote fraternity by helping those in need

杏MAP导航

Meeting with a delegation from B鈥檔ai B鈥檙ith International, 杏MAP导航 Francis emphasizes the need to care for our sisters and brothers, inviting Jews and Christians to work together for the poor, for justice, and for the protection of creation.

By Christopher Wells

鈥淭he promotion and deepening of Jewish-Christian dialogue has been something close to my heart since I was a young boy,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said on Monday morning, 鈥渂ecause at school I had Jewish classmates; it is a dialogue made up of encounter and concrete gestures of fraternity.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 addressed his remarks to a delegation from B鈥檔ai B鈥檙ith International, a Jewish service organization committed to advocating for Jews around the world and promoting human rights.

Promoting greater human fraternity

杏MAP导航 Francis highlighted the organization's commitment to humanitarian causes, saying 鈥減eople have a right to receive help and solidarity from the larger community,鈥� including especially the right to hope.

鈥淗elping the lowly, the poor, the sick鈥� is the most concrete way to promote greater human fraternity.鈥�

At the same time, he warned of the threat to world peace 鈥渂y forms of particularism and nationalism, driven by selfish interests and unbridled greed,鈥� which must be combatted by remembrance: 鈥渞emembrance of the past, remembrance of its wars, remembrance of the Shoah and of countless other atrocities.鈥�

鈥淲here is your brother?鈥�

He contrasted remembrance to the 鈥渓ying and indifference鈥� that accompanies all violence, illustrated in the story of Cain鈥檚 murder of Abel.

Confronted with violence and indifference, the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渢he pages of Scripture show us the face of our brothers and sisters.鈥� God鈥檚 question to Cain, 鈥淲here is your brother?鈥� reminds us that 鈥渨e cannot be fully ourselves without watching out for our brothers and sisters.鈥�

鈥淚t is good that we should help one another, because in each one of us, in every religious tradition and in every human society, there is always a risk that we can hold grudges and foster disputes against others, and at times do so in the name of absolute and even sacred principles.鈥�

Strategy of heaven

The 鈥渟trategy鈥� of heaven, on the other hand, is 鈥渢o break the cycle of violence, the spiral hatred, and to start protecting one another.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis expressed his hope that members of B鈥檔ai B鈥檙ith would continue their work of protecting the most vulnerable and neglected, saying this is something Jews and Christians can do together: 鈥淲e can work for the poor, for peace, for justice, and for the protection of creation.鈥�

鈥淟et us strive ahead,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said in conclusion, 鈥渙n the basis of our shared spiritual values, to defend human dignity against all violence, and to seek peace.鈥�

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