Kehillot write to the Pope
The Hebrew speaking Catholic communities in Israel, constituting the Saint James Vicariate, sent a letter to Pope Francis on the day of the inaugural mass in the Vatican, March 19, 2013. We publish the text here:
Your Holiness,
The Hebrew speaking Catholic community in Israel sends you its warmest greetings, assuring you of its fervent prayers for you as you take up the heavy responsibilities that come with your mission.
We have all been profoundly moved by your words and your acts in these first days of your pontificate. Your insistence that the Church be poor with the poor is a reminder to us all that we are called to radical discipleship in the footsteps of He who was indeed without a place to lay His head.
We have all been profoundly moved by your letter to the Rabbi Di Segni, insisting on continuing the long road of reconciliation and dialogue with the Jewish people, in the midst of whom we live here in Israel.
We are sure that you will also make an important contribution to the efforts to bring peace to our troubled country, to this region and to the whole world.
Holy Father, we assure you of our love, esteem and constant prayer for you and our Church. We hope to see you soon among us, following the invitation of President of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres and our Patriarch, His Beatitude Fouad Twal. "Barukh haBa beShem Adonay" (Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord).
The letter was signed in the name of the faithful by Patriarchal Vicar for Hebrew speaking Catholics, Father David Neuhaus SJ.
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