Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) - “I have come to stand in silence before this monument, erected to honor the memory of the millions of Jews killed in the horrific tragedy of the Shoah. They lost their lives, but they will never lose their names: these are indelibly etched in the hearts of their loved ones, their surviving fellow prisoners, and all those determined never to allow such an atrocity to disgrace mankind again. Most of all, their names are forever fixed in the memory of Almighty God.” These were the words spoken by the Holy Father Benedict XVI during his visit to the Yad Vashem Memorial in Jerusalem, where he traveled on Monday, May 11, after a courtesy visit to the President of the State of Israel.
After recalling that “Sacred Scripture teaches us the importance of names in conferring upon someone a unique mission or a special gift,” the Pope affirmed. “May the names of these victims never perish! May their suffering never be denied, belittled or forgotten!” He continued: “The Catholic Church, committed to the teachings of Jesus and intent on imitating his love for all people, feels deep compassion for the victims remembered here. Similarly, she draws close to all those who today are subjected to persecution on account of race, color, condition of life or religion – their sufferings are hers, and hers is their hope for justice. As Bishop of Rome and Successor of the Apostle Peter, I reaffirm – like my predecessors – that the Church is committed to praying and working tirelessly to ensure that hatred will never reign in the hearts of men again.”
The Scriptures teach that it is our task to remind the world that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of peace, and that “God lives, even though we sometimes find it difficult to grasp his mysterious and inscrutable ways,” the Pope said, recalling the cry of the victims of the Shoah that still resounds in our hearts: “It is a cry raised against every act of injustice and violence. It is a perpetual reproach against the spilling of innocent blood. It is the cry of Abel rising from the earth to the Almighty.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 12/5/2009)
