Jewish and Catholic solidarity in essential values, says statement

Vatican City, Oct 18, 2004 / 22:00 pm

The Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with Jews, headed by Cardinal Jorge Mejia, and  Delegations of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, led by Rabbi Shar Yishuv Cohen, today released a shared statement on social justice and ethics, calling for respect for religious communities and persons, and affirming Jewish and Catholic solidarity in essential moral values and human well-being.

The statement, on the theme "A Common Vision of Social Justice and Ethical Behavior," emerged today during meetings in Grottaferrata, Italy, which began on October 17 and end today. It reads:

"1. We are not enemies, but unequivocal partners in articulating the essential moral values for the survival and welfare of human society.

"2. Jerusalem has a sacred character for all the children of Abraham. We call on all relevant authorities to respect this character and to prevent actions which offend the sensibilities of religious communities that reside in Jerusalem and hold her dear.

"3. We call on religious authorities to protest publicly when actions of disrespect towards religious persons, symbols and Holy Sites are committed, such as the desecration of cemeteries and the recent assaults on the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem. We call on them to educate their communities to behave with respect and dignity towards peoples and towards their attachment to their faith."

Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Commission for Religious Relations with Jews and Riccardo Segni, chief rabbi of Rome, will analyze the state of Catholic-Jewish dialogue today to introduce a seminar series on the theme at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

The Commission for Religious Relations with Jews celebrates it’s 30^th anniversary on October 22. It was founded by Pope Paul VI on October 22, 1974.

Cardinal Kasper, Cardinal Mejia and a delegation of the commission, will visit Rome's synagogue on Friday October 22 to mark the anniversary during the Jewish celebration of Shabbat.