Pope Francis, as he met with
the leader of the World Jewish Congress, said Christians in many
parts of the world are now facing the sort of prosecution that
Jews have often suffered.
"Now, it's our turn to suffer," Francis told Ronald S.
Lauder, the leader of the WJC, during a meeting at the Vatican
Wednesday night, Lauder said Thursday.
"In the world, there is still great suffering," Lauder said
the pope added.
"First, it was your turn. Now it's our turn".
Francis received a delegation of 40 international Jewish
leaders in the Vatican on Wednesday in honor of Rosh Hashana,
the Jewish New Year that extends over two days ending Friday.
The group met with Francis at his residence at St. Marta's
House, the Vatican guesthouse where the pope lives.
Lauder also spoke out against the persecution of
Christians.
"First the Jews suffered attacks and the world remained in
silence," Lauder said.
"Now the Christians are being annihilated and again, the
world is not saying much. Why doesn't the world react?
"The World Jewish Congress and the pope agree about
condemning the savage attacks against Christians in the Middle
East and other regions of the world".
Lauder, an American businessman, added that the pope said
at the meeting that Christians and Jews should pray together for
world peace.
Francis has previously called for prayers for Christians
and other persecuted minority groups all over the world,
including in parts of the Middle East, and their defence has
been a recurring theme for the pope, who has frequently spoken
out against religious intolerance.
Religious minority groups have been especially threatened
by civil war in Iraq between authorities and Islamic militants
belonging to ISIS who are attempting to establish a caliphate in
the region.
Francis has also tried to bridge religious divides on a
personal level.
On a trip in May to the Holy Land, Francis reached out to
Palestinian leaders as well as Israeli figures, even inviting as
his travel companions two old friends from Argentina - a Muslim
leader and a rabbi.
He visited refugees in a Palestinian refugee camp as well
as important Israel landmarks including the Yad Vashem Holocaust
Museum in Jerusalem.
The pope has also been a forceful advocate for peace, and
has gone as far as to state that force can be justified in
efforts to curb radical Islamic militants in Iraq.
In widely publicized comments made last month, Francis said
that bombing is not acceptable, but strong measures can be
justified to protect the people of Iraq from ISIS, the Islamic
State militants.
He also denounced the extreme amount of indiscriminate
violence in the world that takes the lives of innocent children
as well as combatants, and said he found mankind's "cruelty ...
a little frightening".
But it was the pope's suggestion that a 'just war' was
supportable that has captured headlines around the world.
"In those cases where there is an unjust aggression, I can
only say that it is permissible to stop the unjust aggressor,"
the pope said during a lengthy news conference as he returned to
the Vatican after a five-day visit to South Korea.
Francis said he felt "especially close" to persecuted
Christians everywhere, but noted that all religious minorities
have the right to protection from persecution.
"Today, we are in a world at war - everywhere," said
Francis, who noted that someone had suggested to him that the
world is now witnessing "World War Three".
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