VATICAN - Benedict XVI in the Holy Land (14) - Visit to the Wailing Wall and visit to the two Chief Rabbis of Jerusalem: “the Catholic Church is irrevocably committed to the path chosen at the Second Vatican Council for a genuine and lasting reconciliation between Christians and Jews”

Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) – Departing the Esplanade of the Mosques, the Holy Father Benedict XVI traveled to the Western Wall, commonly known as the “Wailing Wall.” Here, the Chief Rabbi read a Psalm in Hebrew and the Holy Father read the same one in Latin, later remaining in silent prayer before the Wall before depositing his written prayer in a crack in the wall. He then traveled by car to the Hechal Shlomo Center, headquarters of the Chief Rabbinate of Jerusalem, to pay a courtesy visit to the two Chief Rabbis of Israel: Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger. During the public part of the encounter, after greeting the two Chief Rabbis, the Holy Father gave a speech thanking the two Chief Rabbis “for their warm words of welcome and the desire they have expressed to continue strengthening the bonds of friendship which the Catholic Church and the Chief Rabbinate have labored so diligently to forge over the past decades.”
Benedict XVI mentioned his desire “to deepen mutual understanding and cooperation between the Holy See, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and Jewish people throughout the world,” continuing on the path begun by John Paul II, with an invitation to “give thanks to the Almighty for the many blessings which have accompanied the dialogue conducted by the Bilateral Commission, and to look forward with expectation to its future sessions...Jews and Christians alike are concerned to ensure respect for the sacredness of human life, the centrality of the family, a sound education for the young, and the freedom of religion and conscience for a healthy society. These themes of dialogue represent only the initial phases of what we trust will be a steady, progressive journey towards an enhanced mutual understanding.”
Among the common elements shared by the two religious traditions, the Holy Father mentioned “shared concern in the face of moral relativism and the offenses it spawns against the dignity of the human person” and continued: “In approaching the most urgent ethical questions of our day, our two communities are challenged to engage people of good will at the level of reason, while simultaneously pointing to the religious foundations which best sustain lasting moral values. May the dialogue that has begun continue to generate ideas on how Christians and Jews can work together to heighten society’s appreciation of the distinctive contribution of our religious and ethical traditions.”
At the close of his address, the Holy Father mentioned that “the Catholic Church is irrevocably committed to the path chosen at the Second Vatican Council for a genuine and lasting reconciliation between Christians and Jews. As the Declaration Nostra Aetate makes clear, the Church continues to value the spiritual patrimony common to Christians and Jews and desires an ever deeper mutual understanding and respect through biblical and theological studies as well as fraternal dialogues.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 13/5/2009)