The Union of Italian Jewish communities sent a telegram today to the Vatican declaring that “Italian Jews present their reverence and respect to the memory of Pope John who toiled with high spirit to achieve among men the same divine harmony that governs the universe.”
In a statement to the press, the Union said that the Pope’s death was “a great loss for the whole of humanity, for every nation, for every state. Because of the Ecumenical Council,” which Pope John convened, “and the encyclical ‘Peace on Earth,’ the eyes of mankind were directed toward him in the hope that his work would have been fruitful, Jews the more so.”
The statement added that some of the late Pope’s actions “had given confidence that unjust barriers would have been eliminated. In view of the expectations of all mankind, we do not doubt that whoever takes over so momentous an inheritance will be able to achieve a successful conclusion of the enlightened work initiated by Pope John.”
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