Pope Francis Hails Catholic-Jewish Relations
Pope Francis referred to the Torah as a manifestation of God's paternal and visceral love that is shown in words and concrete gestures, and which has become a covenant. The pontiff gave an eloquent description of the Jewish book when he received Rabbi Abraham Skorka on Thursday.
Francis welcomed Skorka, his long-time friend from Argentina who, along with other Jewish leaders, presented him with a new, annotated edition of the Torah. The pope expressed his gratitude to the delegation for the "thoughtful gesture" of coming to Rome.
The Torah refers to the Jewish written law and consists of the first five books in the Old Testament. Skorka explained that those involved in creating the new edition came from "three continents, three generations and three religions." It is published by Arte Scritta of Spain.
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The Catholic Herald reported that the group intended to publish an edition of the four Gospels and of the Quran as well. "This is intended as a small, yet very significant cry to eradicate the hatred and animosities that are so tragically perceived today," said Skorka, rector of the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary.
Francis noted that the designers of the new edition paid special attention to both the literary aspects of the text as well as the colorful illustrations that added "further value" to the Torah. He also praised the introduction and notes written by an interreligious group of scholars for emphasizing the "dialogical approach" between Jews and Catholics.
Turning to Catholic-Jewish relations, the pope happily remarked that the "fraternal and institutional dialogue" between the two religions is "well-established and effective," and continues to be strengthened and carried forward through various encounters and collaborations.
The occasion comes three days after the announcement of a first ever joint exhibit between the Vatican Museum and Rome's Jewish Museum. The exhibit will feature the menorah, the candelabra depicted for centuries in both Jewish and Catholic art, Crux reported.
