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Pope Francis. 'Jewish people do not seek praise – just the right to live Judaism in peace'
Photo: AFP

Open letter to Pope Francis

Op-ed: Ahead of pontiff's visit to Israel, Rafael Castro asks him to openly acknowledge Jews' desire to reside in peace in Holy Land.

Personally, I am delighted that you head the Catholic Church. Your history of friendship and cooperation with Jews in your native Argentina is encouraging, as are your goodwill gestures towards non-believers and ostracized minorities.

 

 

Hopefully your papacy will play a historical role in making intolerance recede from the landscape of the Western world.

 

Given that you are about to visit Israel and that you have shown your openness to discuss spiritual issues with those beyond the Church fold, let me take the liberty to address you – in the hope of contributing to a closer relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people.

 

The history of this relationship is long and painful. Yet history has taught the Jewish people to remember the past, with its grievous injustices and suffering, in order to embrace solidarity and ethics. I am glad that you have repeatedly appreciated this facet of Jewish identity.

 

Yet the Jewish people do not seek praise – just the right to live Judaism in peace. It would thus be very encouraging if Your Holiness openly acknowledged the desire of Jews to reside in peace in the Holy Land.

 

Despite the conflict that separates the descendants of Isaac from those of Ishmael, Jews are united in their goal of bringing peace to all peoples between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Jews disagree intensely as how to best secure this peace, yet these disagreements bear testimony to the elusiveness of this goal, not to the Jewish people’s lack of resolve to accept peaceful coexistence in their historical homeland.

 

Israel is the state in the Middle East where Christians can feel most secure. Catholics worship in peace in Jerusalem, Nazareth and Haifa; they pray and sing in dozens of churches in Arabic, Hebrew, Tagalog and Spanish. A public recognition of this reality would encourage more Israeli Jews to openly embrace their presence and help these Catholics feel more at home in Israel.

 

Yet the friendship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people should not be confined to the pursuit of common interests – it should also reflect a shared spiritual heritage. Since the days of the theologian Marcion, too many Christians have clung to the belief that the God of the Torah is a God of war and a God of vengeance. It would be very encouraging if you used your influence and scriptural knowledge to remind your fold of the continuity in the ethical message preached by the Pentateuch, by the prophets and by the Jewish founders of your faith.

 

Such a message would surely constitute a most powerful way of reminding Catholics and Jews that above and beyond theological differences, both communities share a common ethical legacy and are united in the pursuit of Isaiah's vision – a world without bloodshed, without poverty and where peace and justice are allowed to reign.

 

In our days, the fulfillment of this vision hinges on the courage of spiritual leaders to speak the truth and shed light in quarters darkened by ignorance. May your visit to Israel serve this purpose and inspire strength to those Arabs and Jews, Christians and Muslims who work for genuine peace and reconciliation in the Middle East.

 

Rafael Castro is Italian and regularly writes on issues that concern Israel and the Jewish people.

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.22.14, 20:01
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