In a statement, the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities expressed its sorrow \u201cat the sudden death of Pope Francis, despite his recent improvements in health, participating in the grief of all the faithful.\u201d \u201cHis long pontificate, marked by the current Jubilee Year, has witnessed many epochal changes and world crises generating important reflections on the present and the future, in the wake of the indispensable dialogue among faiths.\u201d His final words, the UCEI\u2019s message highlights, emphasized \u201cthe importance of paying attention to the rise of antisemitism.\u201d The Chief Rabbi of Rome, Riccardo Di Segni, joined in the condolences. \u201cAfter a long illness, borne with great strength, Pope Francis has left us. His pontificate marked an important new chapter in the history of relations between Judaism and Catholicism, with the opening of a dialogue that was sometimes difficult but always respectful. I remember the numerous occasions on which I met him, which were always marked by sympathy, attention and trust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Assembly of Italian Rabbis (ARI) also \u201cparticipates in the sorrow of the Catholic Church and of the Christian community for the death of Pope Francis.\u201d In a release, the ARI recalled \u201cthe profound humanity with which he was able to address the world in extremely difficult times\u201d and recalled his visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome in January 2016 \u201cas a particularly meaningful moment of a sincere dialogue with the Jewish world and of significant concern about the resurgence of antisemitism.\u201d Finally, the Italian Federation of Jewish-Christian Friendship highlighted \u201chis commitment to interreligious and Jewish-Christian dialogue and his firm opposition to the spread of antisemitism and anti-Judaism.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"