Pope encourages Simon Wiesenthal Centre to continue good work

24 Oct. 2013: Pope Francis thanked the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an International Jewish Organisation for defending human rights . Meeting the organisation’s delegation in the Vatican on Thursday, the Pontiff praised it’s dedicated work to combat all forms of racism, intolerance and anti-Semitism, preserving the memory of the Holocaust and promoting mutual understanding through education and social commitment. Stating that in the last few weeks, he had the opportunity to reiterate the Church’s condemnation for every form of anti-Semitism, the Pope said he wanted to emphasize today that the problem of intolerance must be confronted in its totality. He said any place, where a minority is persecuted and marginalised for religious beliefs, the good of the whole society is in danger and all have to be involved.
The Pope said it pains him to think of the suffering, marginalization and authentic persecution that many Christians are undergoing in several parts of the world. Let us join forces, he said, to promote a culture of encounter, respect, understanding and mutual forgiveness. For the construction of such a culture, the Pope stressed in particular the training of the younger generation, to whom must be conveyed not only the history of Jewish –Catholic dialogue but also the difficulties experienced and the progress made in recent decades. In conclusion, the Pope encouraged them to train young people to build bridges between cultures and faith traditions.