Jews
The meeting yesterday evening between Pope Francis and a delegation of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), led by its president Ronald S. Lauder, focused on the issues of migrants and peace. In his address – a statement released today by the WJC reads –, the Pope spoke about the challenge to promote peace in the world and about the refugee crisis. “Europe – he said – often forgets that it has been enriched by migrants. Europe is closing itself up. Europe is lacking creativity. Europe has a falling birth rate, and problems of high unemployment”. The Pontiff then referred to the terrorist attacks in Brussels last 22 March saying: “We need to reflect on integration, which is important. The people who committed the terrorist attacks in Belgium were not properly integrated”. Pope Francis went on to reiterate what he had told President Lauder at a previous meeting, that “a good Christian could not be an anti-Semite”. He went on to add that it is important that Christians and Jews speak out against brutality in the world. “We should go on a joint journey together to make the world more secure”, the Pope told the leaders of the Jewish communities in Europe and the Americas who attended the meeting. And ahead of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, which marks the beginning of the Jewish Year, Pope Francis offered his best wishes to the Jewish communities. He said: “We need more friendliness and kindness”. “We need to speak out for peace”. President Lauder, for his part, told the Pontiff: “We Jews have all been immigrants. We understand the situation the immigrants find themselves in”. He then echoed the Pope’s words for peace: “We pray for peace. We need to live in peace”. Finally, the delegation praised Pope Francis for his recent visit to Auschwitz, where he had chosen to remain silent.
