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Grottaferrata-Rome, 17-19 October 2004; 2-4 Cheshwan 5765 Fourth
Meeting
1. The fourth meeting of the respective high ranking delegations
took place in Grottaferrata (Rome) on the theme of A Shared Vision
of Social Justice and Ethical Conduct in an atmosphere of amity
and cordiality. This encounter was pursuant to the successful
previous three meetings in Jerusalem and Rome which had addressed
the themes: The Sanctity of Human Life and Family Values; The
Relevance of Central Religious Teachings in the Holy Scriptures
we share, for Contemporary and Future Society.
2. In their opening welcomes, the chairmen of the delegations
Cardinal Jorge Mejía and Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen,
expressed their satisfaction and joy that the meetings continue
in a spirit of prayer and with a deepening relationship of friendship
and collaboration between the members of the delegations, which
holds great promise for the future.
3. The bilateral committee reiterated its commitment to the principle
declarations of the previous meetings which included a call for
mutual respect of our different religious identities; and affirmed
a common rejection of any attempts to persuade people to reject
their own heritage. The committee similarly reiterated the past
declarations' condemnations of violence and terror in the name
of religion as desecration of religion itself; as well as of resurgent
manifestations of anti-Semitism, which Pope John Paul II has described
as "a sin against God and humankind".
4. Deliberations of the current meeting focused on the inseparable
relationship between Faith and Social Justice based on the belief
that all human moral values have their source in God and are rooted
in the Biblical teaching that each and every human person is created
in the Divine Image (Gen 1: 26). Accordingly, our respective religious
traditions categorically reject moral relativism.
5. Furthermore, Biblical teachings require that the goal of justice
(zedek umishpat) must be pursued through the ways of human beneficence
and compassion (chesed vrachamim). This demands that we strive
to go beyond the letter of the Law (lifnim mishurat hadin) for
the wellbeing of society as a whole.
6. Accordingly, the Joint Committee called for special attention
to be given to the challenges of poverty, sickness and marginalisation;
the inequitable distribution of resources to combat these; the
challenges of globalisation without human solidarity; the need
for peaceful resolution of conflicts; and our responsibilities
in the face of the spectre of terrorism in all its manifestations.
As people of Faith and moral heritage we are called to respond
to the consequences and implications of these as well as the social
crisis caused by extreme individualism and materialism. In this
regard, special mention was made of abuse of sexuality and of
economic exploitation, which lead to new forms of modern slavery,
including trafficking in women and children that desecrates the
dignity of the human person.
7. As believers in the One God whose name is Peace, prayer was
offered up to Him to bring an end to war, bloodshed, violence
and suffering in the world - and in particular in the Holy Land.
The members of the Joint Committee accordingly called upon their
communities and leaders throughout the world to similarly intensify
prayer and work for the promotion of peace and harmony everywhere.
8. As this meeting took place on the eve of the 30th anniversary
of the establishment of the Holy See's Commission for Religious
Relations with the Jews (on October 22nd 1974); the committee
took the opportunity to express its appreciation for the role
that the Commission has played in the implementation of Nostra
Aetate (n. 4) and the subsequent statements and documents advancing
Catholic-Jewish reconciliation, cooperation and understanding.
Grottaferrata (Rome), October 19th, 2004 - MarCheshvan 4th, 5765
Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen (Chairman of the Jewish Delegation)
Chief Rabbi Rasson Arussi
Chief Rabbi Yossef Azran
Chief Rabbi David Brodman
Chief Rabbi David Rosen
Mr Oded Wiener
Jorge Cardinal Mejía (Chairman of the Catholic Delegation)
Georges Cardinal Cottier, O.P.
Archbishop Pietro Sambi
Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo
Mons. Pier Francesco Fumagalli
Mons. Ambrogio Spreafico
P. Norbert Hofmann, S.D.B. |