Israeli Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger Praises Pope Benedict for Outreach to Jews
Never Better: Relations between Israel and the Vatican were the ?best ever? under Pope Behedict, Israel?s chief rabbi said. Image by getty images
Israeli chief rabbi Yona Metzger on Monday praised Pope Benedict’s inter-religious outreach and said relations between Israel and the Vatican had never been better.
“During his period (as pope) there were the best relations ever between the church and the chief rabbinate and we hope that this trend will continue,” a spokesman quoted Metzger as saying after the pope announced he would resign. “I think he deserves a lot of credit for advancing inter-religious links the world over between Judaism, Christianity and Islam.”
Metzger wished the pope “good health and long days”, the spokesman said.
The FCJE, the umbrella organization representing Spanish Jews, said in a statement issued shortly after the announcement that it “respected” the pope’s decision.
“As pope, Benedict XVI acted with great intellectual rigor that undoubtedly contributed to Catholic-Jewish relations,” the statement read. “We wish the pope a long life and encourage him to continue working for peace between the peoples after leaving the post.”
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
