Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Leader of World Jewish Congress Thanks Pope

Notes 4 Decades of Progress in Relationship

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 9, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The president of the World Jewish Congress thanked Benedict XVI for everything he has done for the Jewish people over the past decades.

Ronald Lauder met with the Pope on Monday, accompanied by Michael Schneider, secretary-general of the World Jewish Congress.

The Jewish leaders' talk with the Holy Father focused on "interreligious dialogue and on anti-Semitism in a number of European countries," according to a press release issued by the congress. The Pontiff said that the issue of Catholic-Jewish relations was very close to his heart.

According to the press release, "Lauder said that the repeated anti-Semitic statements by the Polish priest Tadeusz Rydzyk, owner of the ultraconservative Catholic station Radio Maryja, should not be tolerated any more."

Lauder, the son of Estée Lauder and a former U.S. ambassador to Austria, called on the Pontiff to take strong action against those in the Church who want to do damage to what the press release called a "close and positive relationship between Christians and Jews."
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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 8:27 PM