As Cardinal Protodeacon, the senior cardinal deacon in order of appointment to the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, had the honor of proclaiming to the world, “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum. Habemus papam.”
Most media attention on Pope Francis has emphasized his pastoral outreach to the poor of Buenos Aires and his simple lifestyle. In the area of interreligious dialogue, his outreach to the Jewish community in Buenos Aires has also been noted. In an article in The Jewish Week, Rabbi David Rosen, International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee, is quoted as saying “He demonstrated his profound solidarity with the Jewish community of Argentina in both times of sorrow and joy.”
The article also notes that he is very close to the current rector of the Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano, Rabbi Abraham Skorka, and Rabbi Sergio Bergman, who is now part of the Buenos Aires legislature. The new pope and Rabbi Skorka co-wrote a 2010 book on interfaith dialogue titled On Heaven and Earth. Comments on the book can be found in an article by Leo D. Lefebure for the blog of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.
Credit for this article is given to http://www.dimmid.org
Photo credit: www.forbes.com
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