World Jewish News

Moscow: Berl Lazar meets with the Pope's nuncio.

Antonio Mennini, the Apostolic nuncio and the official representatives of the Holly See in Russia, expressed his worries over the relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches." The Vatican and I, its new representative, feel the urgent need in normalizing relations between the Vatican and the Russian church", stated Antonio Mennini, at a Friday meeting with Berl Lazar, the Chief Rabbi of Russia, in Moscow.
"We are looking for and finding ways of mutual understanding", pointed out the archbishop, reassuring that "this dialogue will continue and will bring the needed results". "The most terrible is when religious feelings cause conflicts", said Rabbi in his turn, adding that "a special sense of tact is needed in this matter, for religion is the tiniest border existing between people".
Berl Lazar expressed hope that the dialogue between the Catholic church and the leading Russian confessions would reach a new level and would serve an example of cooperation based on mutual respect. The both sides agreed that this cooperation is of particular importance nowadays, when the international relations are threatened to the previously unseen extent. "Not only do the situations of the kind give the religious leaders a possibility, but also make them do everything possible to keep people talking to each other, and not shooting each other", has pointed out Rabbi. The Apostolic nuncio pronounced in favor of join projects by the Catholic church and the traditional religions of Russia, foremost in the field of humanitarian aid. Berl Lazar supported the idea.
The Archbishop presented Rabbi with a medal bearing the image of the Pope. This is a personal present done by the Pontific. The conversation was conducted in Italian, a native language of Berl Lazar.

Источник: Jewish.ru