Vatican City, Dec 17, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Receiving a delegation from the Jewish organization B’nai B’rith International, Pope Benedict XVI said today that Christians and Jews, along with Muslims, are called to work together for peace and healing in the world.
The Pontiff recalled that, “much has been achieved in the past four decades of Jewish-Catholic relations, and we must be grateful to God for the remarkable transformation that has taken place on the basis of our common spiritual patrimony.”
“It is this rich heritage of faith,” the Pope said, “which enables our communities not only to enter into dialogue, but also to be partners in working together for the good of the human family.”
“Our troubled world needs the witness of people of good will inspired by the truth, revealed on the first page of the Scriptures, that all men and women are created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), and thus possess an inalienable dignity and worth,” he continued.
“Jews and Christians are called to work together for the healing of the world by promoting the spiritual and moral values grounded in our faith convictions. If we give a clear example of fruitful cooperation, our voice in responding to the needs of the human family will be all the more convincing.”
Turning to the continued troubles in the Holy Land, the Pope insisted, “peace can only come about if it is the concern of Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, expressed in genuine interreligious dialogue and concrete gestures of reconciliation.”
“All believers are challenged to show that it is not hatred and violence, but understanding and peaceful cooperation which open the door to that future of justice and peace which is God’s promise and gift,” he concluded.