Pope Francis gathered with leaders and members of the World Jewish Congress in November to discuss how our communities of faith can work together toward bonds of unity and trust in order to encourage the world to greater peace and harmony.
The Pope met at the Vatican with more than 200 members of the congress’ executive committee and the WJC president, Ronald S. Lauder. The Vatican and WJC have entered an historic initiative called Kishreinu (Hebrew for “Our Bond”). This initiative is meant to strengthen the bonds of fraternity with the Jewish people, which began in earnest after the promulgation of the Second Vatican Council document “Nostra Aetate” more than 50 years ago. “Nostra Aetate” modernized the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the Jewish people.
The World Jewish Congress advocates on behalf of Jewish communities and organizations around the world as they dialogue with governments, parliaments, international organizations and other faith communities. Since its foundation in 1936, the congress has been a leader in advocating for Jewish rights as it promotes justice for Holocaust victims and their families and works to counter anti-Semitism and attacks on the State of Israel.
In his formal address, Pope Francis reminded all in attendance that Jews and Catholics have enjoyed a wonderful and fruitful relationship since the Second Vatican Council. Both have been in dialogue with the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews pontifical commission for many decades. The Pope said that this gathering of Jews and Catholics “testifies to and strengthens the bonds of friendship.” He said that our shared religious heritage in the One Maker of heaven and earth, in whose image we were created and who has revealed Himself to humanity through Father Abraham, “share a similar outlook on the final things, shaped by trust that on the journey of life we are not advancing toward nothingness, but toward an encounter with the Most High who cares for us. While there may be different conceptions in Judaism and Christianity about how this fulfillment will come about, the consoling promise that we share remains.”
This shared heritage of faith should impel us to strengthen the bonds of unity and peace in a world too often plagued by war and violence. Our unity as believers should be regarded as “an incentive to act together” as we seek to “make the world more fraternal, combatting forms of inequality and promoting greater justice, so that peace will not remain an otherworldly promise, but become a present reality in our world. Common and concrete initiatives aimed at promoting justice call for courage, cooperation and creativity.” He added, “As Jews and Christians, let us seek to do all that is humanly possible in order to put an end to war and to pave paths of peace” together.
Prior to meeting with the Pope for the official establishment of the Kishreinu initiative, Lauder met with Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. At this meeting, Lauder spoke of his appreciation that the Catholic Church is entering into this initiative during today’s trying times of increased anti-Semitism and inflammatory rhetoric.
He said, “We don’t ignore it. We don’t forget. But we look forward, together. And what could possibly be better for all the children of God to live together in peace, harmony and in the house of the Lord forever! Those of us here today are eager to promote our bond with the Catholic Church. Today, we launch the process of Kishreinu, which reinforces the common future of our two people. It presents a new stage in the Catholic-Jewish bond.”
Cardinal Koch replied that “with our shared heritage, we have a common responsibility to work together for the good of humankind, refuting anti-Semitism and anti-Catholic and anti-Christian attitudes, as well as all kinds of discrimination, to work for justice, solidarity and peace, to spread compassion and mercy in an often cold and merciless world.”
Noemi di Segni, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities and a member of the WJC executive committee, said in her remarks about the gathering, “For our 2,000-year history – in Rome and in every other locality of Italian Jewish community – the majestic walls of this Vatican City have always had a meaning of insurmountable limit. We are here to affirm that the bond is a bond of life, of living communities with thousands of years to be used as experience for our young generations.”
May the Lord of life and peace continue to bless the efforts of Jews and Catholics as we come together in the work of “tikkun olam” (repair/heal the world) by fostering peace, justice, compassion and reconciliation in the name of the One God.
Father Joseph D. Wallace is diocesan director of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs and pastor of Christ the Redeemer Parish, Atco.
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