杏MAP导航

By Roberto Cetera

鈥淭he Church鈥檚 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. We find in Your Holiness鈥� letter an affirmation of this commitment, evermore significant at this time when instability threatens even relationships which have been cultivated for many decades鈥�.

These words are the heart of a letter sent  to 杏MAP导航 Francis  by several Rabbis and Scholars of Jewish-Christian dialogue. The letter is co-signed by Rabbi Jehoshua Ahrens (Frankfurt/Bern), Rabbi Yitz  Greenberg (Jerusalem/ New York), Rabbi David Meyer (Paris/Rome),  Karma Ben Johanan (Jerusalem) and  Malka Zeiger Simkovich (Chicago). The same group had written to the Holy Father to invoke closeness between Jews and Christians, following the massacre of 7 October and the surge in anti-semitism and anti-Judaism around the world.

On 2 February, 杏MAP导航 Francis sent a letter to his 鈥淛ewish brothers and sisters in Israel鈥�, ensuring them of the Church鈥檚 solidarity with the Jewish people, and at the same time, calling for a swift reconciliation among all people of all ethnic backgrounds and religious confessions living in the Holy Land. 

The signatories quoted Rabbi Moshe Ibn Ezra to express their gratitude to the Holy Father, writing that 鈥渨ords that emanate from the heart, enter the heart鈥�.  Indeed, the letter continued,  鈥渨e take comfort in your extension of a hand to Jews around the world, and especially in Israel, in this time of great distress鈥�, and in your 鈥渃ommitment to actively resist antisemitism and anti-Judaism, which have recently gained intensity in dimensions unknown to most of us during our lifetime鈥�.

 鈥淲e are living in a historic moment that necessitates persistence, hope, and courage鈥�, the letter reads. 鈥淭he transformative power of is an inspiration for us, demonstrating that brotherhood can be retrieved even in the most difficult of conflicts.  We join our Catholic brothers and sisters in their trust that religions can be creative forces, imbued with the power to open paths which otherwise remain closed鈥�.

Professor Karma Ben Johanan, who coordinated the group of signatories, explained that the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 letter had been 鈥渁n invitation to deepen the dialogue between our communities. Almost 60 years since Vatican Council II launched a new era in Jewish-Christian relations, she said, 鈥淭oday we have to renew our relations through the tribulations of these sad times鈥�. However, she added, despite current tensions, 鈥渨e are convinced that our relations are solid enough to overcome them and to move forward, but there is still much work to be done鈥�.

The letter ends by recalling the 鈥減ain of this land鈥檚 inhabitants, be they Jews, Christians, Muslims, and others, pains us all, and impacts our lives and our futures. The obligation to heal this fractured world, beginning here and now, penetrates our being, holding a mountain over us like a barrel鈥�.