"You are the Pontiff, the builder of bridges between religions, and by this name I want to highlight that here you are visiting a synagogue which your predecessor, by visiting the Synagogue in Rome, has already started". With this address, Abraham Lehrer, member of the Jewish Community Council of Cologne, welcomed Pope Benedict XVI in the city’s Synagogue this morning. "You, as the Pontiff said Lehrer , are taking great responsibility towards the Jews, because your acts are a model for the whole Church, and I hope your behaviour will shape the whole Church from top down, to fight anti-Semitism. In you, we see not just the Pope of all Catholics, but a person who bears in mind his historical responsibility. In 1998 added Lehrer you opened the archives of the Congregation and for us the outright opening of the Vatican archives would be extremely important for all parties concerned".
