| ‘The world must not forget to act when dealing with terrorists androgue nations’ A sixty-member Simon Wiesenthal Center delegation that included Holocaust survivors, Christians and a prominent Muslim met today withPope Francis at a private audience in the Vatican.
“There are some nations who can’t compromise. That’s what Chamberlain forgot in 1938 when he returned from Munich with his ‘Peace inour time’. Only Churchill understood who Hitler really was. If not for him, today’s audience with Your Holiness and a delegation from the Simon Wiesenthal Center could never have takenplace.” Turning to the resurgence of anti-Semitism, Rabbi Hier declared, “Seventy-five years after the infamous Kristallnacht (Night of BrokenGlass) pogrom, a poll commissioned by the respected Ebert Foundation estimates that 150 million Europeans still harbor anti-Jewish sentiment. “Your Holiness, we know that we have you as an ally in our struggles against anti-Semitism, and we want to reiterate to you that youhave an ally in the Simon Wiesenthal Center in your struggle to secure the rights of religious minorities everywhere, especially endangered historic Christian communities in Egypt, Iraqand beyond.” “Finally, we are delighted that Your Holiness has accepted an invitation to visit Israel next year – the spiritual center of theJewish people, where Jews, Christians and Muslims are free to practice their faith and to express their opinions without fear or repression. May your presence there help all thosecommitted to a lasting Middle East peace, to finally recognize the existence of a Jewish state alongside her twenty-three Arab neighbors,” Rabbi Hier concluded. In his remarks, Pope Francis reaffirmed his condemnation of “all forms of anti-Semitism,” adding, “The problem of intolerance must beconfronted in all its forms… [including] the marginalization and the very real persecutions which not a few Christians are undergoing in various countries.” Simon Wiesenthal Center Chairman, Larry Mizel presented the Pope with a specially-commissioned Jerusalem Stone menorah with a quotefrom Psalms reflecting the new Pontiff’s emphasis on values of kindness and good deeds - “Righteousness and Justice are His Throne’s Foundation”.
From the Official Vatican Network: To the Simon wiesenthal Centre: face the problem of intolerance together For more information, please contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-553-9036, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter page or mobile device. |
