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Skriven 2005-01-19 11:21:36 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45.1)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
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Hello All!

              The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                        Vatican Information Service.
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               VIS-Press releases

RABBIS FROM AROUND THE WORLD THANK POPE JOHN PAUL

VATICAN CITY, JAN 18, 2005 (VIS) - This morning, in the largest private
audience ever given by a Pope to Jewish leaders, John Paul II received 160
Jewish rabbis and cantors from Israel, the United States and Europe.

The Holy Father pointed out that "this year we will be celebrating the fortieth
anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Declaration 'Nostra aetate', which
has significantly contributed to the strengthening of Jewish- Catholic
dialogue.

"May this be an occasion for renewed commitment to increased understanding and
cooperation in the service of building a world ever more firmly based on
respect for the divine image in every human being."

The rabbis, who all belong to the Pave the Way Foundation, thanked the Holy
Father for "all the efforts he has sustained over 26 years of pontificate to
reconcile the two faiths and demolish the wall of hatred," according to a
communique from the Foundation published last evening. During the audience,
they recited a prayer in honor of John Paul II.

Gary Krupp, founder and president of the Pave the Way Foundation, affirmed that
the aim of his group is "to unite men and women of good faith, beyond any
religious belief and without prejudice, and to remove with determination all
obstacles in the way of this objective. The Pope has done this for decades. The
least we can do is to thank him humbly for all he has done for the Jewish
people in the world; and in our turn we undertake to make serious efforts for
peace on Earth," he said.

Rabbi Jack Bemporad, director of the Center for Inter-religious Understanding,
said "since Vatican Council II, and under the guidance of Pope John Paul II,
the Church has made many extremely significant steps to create new bonds with
Jews on a foundation of sincere affection and reciprocity."

"No Pope before John Paul II has ever done as much, or been so concerned to
create fraternal relations between Catholics and Jews. ... I am convinced that
Pope John Paul II will be considered a great healer of relations between
Catholics and Jews. ... Coming to the Vatican from all over the world, we
rabbis say thank you!"
AC/JEWS:CATHOLICS/RABBIS VIS 050118 (380)

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