Pope Benedict XVI assures ADL
he will continue to speak out
against anti-Semitism
Photos from ADL: At left, the ADL delegation at the GA on Wednesday.
New York, NY, November 3, 2010 … In an audience at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI today assured top leaders of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) that he would continue to raise his voice against anti-Semitism and attempts to isolate the state of Israel.
The Pope was greeted by a leadership delegation in Rome led by Robert G. Sugarman, ADL National Chair, Abraham H. Foxman, National Director, and Rabbi Eric Greenberg, ADL Director of Interfaith Affairs.
“Thank you for what you do. It is very important,” the Pontiff told the ADL leaders. “Continue what you do.” When asked if he would continue to condemn anti-Semitism, the Pope replied: “I will, you know I will.”
Mr. Sugarman expressed condolences over the tragic killing last week of dozens of Catholics, including two priests, in a terrorist attack in a church in Iraq.
“We ask that we join together to eliminate all terrorism in the name of religion,” Mr. Sugarman said, to which Pope Benedict agreed.
Mr. Foxman, a Holocaust survivor who has had numerous previous audiences with Pope Benedict and his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, made brief remarks about the growing threats Israel faces as some in the international community seek to isolate the Jewish state.
He asked the Pontiff to use the Church’s moral authority to help prevent Israel from being made a pariah by its enemies.
“Please do not permit the world to isolate Israel,” Mr. Foxman said, to which Pope Benedict replied, “I will be there.”
The League leaders also raised the issue of recent anti-Jewish statements by Greek-Melkite Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros of Newton, Mass, and will continue to raise the issue with other Vatican officials.
The ADL leaders earlier met for more than three hours with New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who is the Moderator for Catholic-Jewish dialogue in the United States on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The meeting was held at the Pontifical North American College, the Rome seminary where Archbishop Dolan served as rector for seven years.
Foxman, Sugarman and Greenberg participated in a wide-ranging discussion with Archbishop Dolan and other Church officials about the current challenges and opportunities facing interfaith dialogue in the U.S. and the world.
The delegation of 22 top ADL leaders from the United States is holding high-level meetings in Rome this week after having visited London and Paris. In Italy and Vatican City, the group met with Vatican leaders, Italian senior law enforcement officials and top Italian government officials from various political parties.
Mr. Sugarman presented the Pontiff a gift of a tzedakah (charity) box, saying that “one of the traditions we both share is giving charity, which in Hebrew is ‘tzedakah.’ We are pleased to give you this tzedakah box to commemorate our visit and our respect for you.”
I am rather surprised at this news release from the ADL, since their national director, Abe Foxman, has always been one of those hardliners who invariably reacts with outrage ahead of anyone (except perhaps the Cheif Rabbi of Rome) to denounce the Vatican for any perceived affront to Israel and/or the Jewish people.... But the emphasis of their news release made me realize how much store they set by the public statements of the Popes in favor of Israel and/or the Jews. (In hindsight, that is why they are so hostile to Pius XII for 'not speaking out' against the Holocaust during the war. It doesn't make their hostility any more reasonable, though, because anti-Pius Jews have chosen to ignore all the actions he did, initiated or authorized that helped tens of thousands of Jews. I will never understand how intelligent men can be conditioned by the Hochhuth-Communist propaganda disseminated through a literal piece of fiction against Pius XII enough to cloxse their minds so completely to objective fact!]
As for Benedict XVI, MSM should perhaps gauge how all their savaging of the Pope this year has not affected his moral authority at all in the eyes of the wider world - otherwise, Forbes, very MSM itself, would not have promoted him from #11 last year to #5 this year in their list of the world's most powerful (i.e., influential) persons.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 05/11/2010 11:55]