Following a Meeting in Jerusalem

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 4, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Here is the Statement of the
Joint Commission of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel's Delegation for
Relations with the Catholic Church and the Holy See's Commission for
Religious Relations with the Jews, signed Wednesday at the conclusion of a
three-day meeting in Jerusalem. The statement was slightly adapted here.

* * *

1. After two meetings, in Jerusalem (June 2002, Tammuz 5762) and in
Grottaferrata/Rome (February 2003, Shvat 5763) the respective high-ranking
delegations convened in Jerusalem to discuss the theme of "The Relevance
of Central Teachings -- The Holy Scriptures Which We Share for
Contemporary Society and the Education of Future Generations Accordingly."

2. The deliberations took place in an atmosphere of mutual respect and
amity, and satisfaction was expressed regarding the firm foundations that
have already been established between the two delegations with great
promise for continuity and effective collaboration.

3. The participants expressed their profound appreciation for the
forthright statements emanating from the Holy See condemning violence
against innocents and denouncing the current resurgent manifestations of
anti-Semitism, as declared in the statements of the Cardinals of the
Vatican's delegation to the Joint Commission Cardinals Walter Kasper,
Jorge Mejía and Georges Cottier.

In this spirit, His Eminence Jorge Mejia wrote to the Chief Rabbis of
Israel: "It is indeed not only cruel but vile and quite incompatible with
any acceptable human standards to attack people in their places of
prayer." Indeed, at the time of the Joint Commission's meeting, His
Holiness Pope John Paul II issued a powerful appeal "to all men and women
of good will to join your voices with mine as I repeat that the holy name
of God must never be used to incite violence or terrorism, to promote
hatred or exclusion."

4. The presentations focused on the foundational teaching in the Holy
Scriptures which we share, which declare the faith in the One Creator and
Guide of the Universe who has formed all human beings in His Divine Image
with free will.

Humankind is thus one family with moral responsibility for one another.
Awareness of this reality leads to the religious and moral duty that may
serve as a true charter for human rights and dignity in our modern world
and provide a genuine vision for a just society, universal peace and
well-being.

5. We live in a global village of unparalleled technological and
scientific advances. These present us with the challenge to use them for
good and blessing and not for evil and curse, God forbid. In this regard,
the global system of mass communication serves as a key edification
vehicle. It behooves us to constructively utilize this opportunity for
global edification in keeping with our aforementioned shared religious and
moral aspirations.

6. It was emphasized that the response to the challenge of promoting
religious faith in contemporary society, requires us to provide living
examples of justice, loving-kindness, tolerance and humility, in keeping
with the words of the Prophet Micah.

"It has been told to you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires
of you: But to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with
your God" (Mic 6:8).

7. Religious education can and must provide hope and direction for
positive living in a human solidarity and harmony in our complex modern
times. Above all, it is faith in God that gives us true security and joy,
in keeping with the verse in Psalm 16: "I have set the Lord always before
me ... and my heart rejoice" (Ps 16:8-9).

8. In particular, religious leaders and educators have the special duty to
instruct their communities to pursue the paths of peace for the well-being
of society at large.

We issue this appeal especially to the family of Abraham and we call upon
all believers to put aside weapons of war and destruction -- "to seek
peace and pursue if" (Ps 34:15).

9. As religious leaders we share in the pain and sorrow of all who suffer
in the Holy Land today -- individuals, families and communities -- and
express our fervent pope and prayers for an end to the trials and
tribulations in the Land that is holy to us all.

10. Finally, we urge our own communities, schools and families, to live in
mutual respect and understanding and to immerse themselves in the study
and teachings of our Holy Scriptures which we share, for the ennoblement
of humanity, universal peace and justice. Thus will the words of the
Prophet be fulfilled: "and they shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword
against nation and they shall not learn war any more" ([Isaiah] 2:4).

Jerusalem, December 3, 2003. Kislev 8, 5764

Cardinal Jorge Cardinal Mejia (Chairman of the Catholic Delegation)
Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo
P. Elias Chacour
Pier Francesco Fumagalli
P. Norbert Hofmann S.D.B.
Archbishop Pietro Sambi

Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen (Chairman of the Jewish Delegation)
Rabbi Rasson Arussi
Rabbi David Brodman
Rabbi Yossef Azran
Rabbi David Rosen
Oded Wiener
Shmuel Hadas
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