Argentine rabbi: Pope’s visit to Holy Land could foster peace

Last updated on: January 16, 2014 at 11:05 pm by CNA Daily News

Argentine rabbi: Pope’s visit to Holy Land could foster peace 2014-01-16T23:05:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jan 16, 2014 / 04:05 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Rabbi Abraham Skorka, rector of the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary, believes that Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the Holy Land is a chance to bring a message of peace to the world.

The rabbi, who is a close friend of the Pope from Argentina, said he received news of the Holy Father's May 24-26 visit to the Holy Land “with great joy.”

“We dreamed of this visit to the Holy Land, to Israel in particular, based on deep friendship and with a message of peace for all the citizens of the region,” he explained.

In statements to the Jewish News Agency, Skorka recalled that when he recently visited the Vatican, he spoke to Pope Francis “about the contribution that he can make from his own place in order to begin to make this vision a reality in some way, if God wills, or at least to give it a much more accentuated dimension in human reality.”

“According to the prophets, with a sincere, honest and profound peace in Zion there will be a solid message of peace that will materialize throughout the world. Let us remember the vision of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 2: ‘They will beat their swords into plowshares.’ No one will prepare for war any longer,” the rabbi said.

“If this trip takes place in this way it will be something grand, because the dream is to embrace him before the Kotel (the Wailing Wall). It would be a symbol to try to end 2000 years of disagreements between Jews and Christians and begin a new era,” he added.

Over the last three years, Rabbi Skorka and then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio – who is now Pope Francis – became close friends in Buenos Aires and worked together on inter-religious dialogue, meeting numerous times for discussion. Out of those meetings came the book, “On Heaven and Earth,” published in 2010, and the television program, “The Bible: Current Dialogue.”

Americas

Previous Post

January 16, 2014

Protecting children is Church priority, Vatican officials tell UN

Next Post

January 17, 2014 Haiti encounters hope, challenges four years after devastation

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Believers are instructed to test everything and hold fast to what is good.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE