NEWS Jorge Bergoglio Visits the Synagogue of Rome

By Rossella Tercatin

Jorge Bergoglio visited the main synagogue of Rome on Sunday afternoon. He was welcomed by the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities Renzo Gattegna, the president of the Jewish Community of Rome Ruth Dureghello and the chief rabbi of Rome Riccardo Di Segni.
Before entering the building, Bergoglio paid tribute to the plaques that recall the victims of the Shoah, and the two-year-old boy murdered by Palestinian terrorists in 1982.
Inside the synagogue, the pontiff thanked the community in Hebrew with the words “todah rabbah,” calling them “our elder brothers and sisters.”
Among the highlights of Bergoglio’s speech, were the condemnation of anti-Semitism in any form and the deep sorrow he expressed over what happened during the Shoah, and the complete rejection of violence in the name of God.
“The violence committed by man against man is incompatible with any religion, and especially with the three monotheistic faiths. Life is sacred and we have to carry on the logic of peace and forgiveness,” Bergoglio said.