Rabbi Rosen: Pope Benedict committed to Catholic-Jewish relations

(Vatican Radio) Following Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise announcement of his resignation, effective February 28^th at 8PM Rome Time, civil and religious leaders from around the world have been writing and voicing their esteem for the Holy Father and their appreciation of his many contributions to pressing cultural and social concerns, from Christian unity to the duty to care for creation and the need to create robust public spaces for dialogue in which the rights of all religious believers to participate are recognised and effectively safeguarded. Another area in which the Holy Father’s efforts have been influential for the good, is Catholic-Jewish relations.

The Director of the American Jewish Committee's Department of Interreligious Affairs, Rabbi David Rosen told Vatican Radio that Pope Benedict XVI’s commitment to furthering Catholic Jewish relations had a deeply ecclesial significance. John Paul II's visit to the synagogue in Rome or his pilgrimage to Israel, paying respects to the state's highest elected political and religious leaders might have been considered, he said, “idiosyncratic” – in the sense that they were the actions of, “a man who had a personal history of involvement with the Jewish community from childhood.”

Rabbi Rosen went on to say, “In Benedict XVI going and doing the same things as John Paul II, and even, maybe, in some ways going beyond them – certainly, in terms of the quantity and maybe even the quality of his own engagement – he was enshrining these actions, almost, in the fabric of the Church.” Rabbi Rosen continued, “I think we will look back on Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate as very significant in consolidating the amazing achievements in Catholic-Jewish relations.” Listen to Rabbi Rosen’s extended interview with Vatican Radio’s Gabriella Cersaso: