The International Council of Christians and Jews mourns the passing of Pope Francis

Source: ICCJ

The International Council of Christians and Jews mourns the passing of Pope Francis and extends our condolences to Roman Catholics around the world.

Pope Francis championed the goals to which the ICCJ is also dedicated. Specifically, he embodied a deep commitment to Jewish-Christian relations, tri-lateral relations among Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and, more broadly, to global interfaith harmony.

Pope Francis expressed a profound understanding of the unique and mutually enriching relationship between Catholics and Jews rooted in the Scriptures both communities share:

"God continues to work among the people of the Old Covenant and to bring forth treasures of wisdom which flow from their encounter with his word. For this reason, the Church also is enriched when she receives the values of Judaism. … [T]here exists … a rich complementarity which allows us to read the texts of the Hebrew Scriptures together and to help one another to mine the riches of God’s word. We can also share many ethical convictions and a common concern for justice and the development of peoples." (Evangelii Gaudium 249)

The ICCJ fondly remembers that Pope Francis individually greeted every participant in its international conference in Rome in 2015 marking the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican document that revolutionized Jewish-Catholic relations. On that occasion, His Holiness spoke of the commonalities that Jews and Christians share:

"The Christian confessions find their unity in Christ; Judaism finds its unity in the Torah. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh in the world; for Jews the Word of God is present above all in the Torah. Both faith traditions find their foundation in the One God, the God of the Covenant, who reveals himself through his Word. In seeking a right attitude towards God, Christians turn to Christ as the fount of new life, and Jews to the teaching of the Torah. This pattern of theological reflection on the relationship between Judaism and Christianity arises precisely from Nostra Aetate (cf. no. 4), and upon this solid basis can and must be further developed."

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis constantly reiterated that interfaith dialogue and friendship are essential to bring about world peace and justice, and, indeed, to preserve the planet itself. He will be an inspiration to the ICCJ and to all who share that vision for many years to come.

May his memory be an enduring blessing.