Cardinal Parolin underlines the recent Vatican letter of 1916 condemning anti-Semitism

The Vatican Secretary of State said Thursday that "a living and faithful common memory" is an indispensable tool to combat anti-Semitism.

“In recent years we have witnessed the spread of a climate of evil and antagonism, in which anti-Semitic hatred has manifested itself through numerous attacks in various countries. The Holy See condemns all forms of anti-Semitism, recalling that such acts are neither Christian nor human, ”Cardinal Pietro Parolin said in a virtual symposium on November 19.

Speaking at the virtual event “Never Again: Confronting the Global Rise of Antisemitism” organized by the US Embassy to the Holy See, the cardinal underlined the importance of the meaning of history in the fight against anti-Semitism.

“In this context, it is particularly interesting to consider what has only recently been found in the Historical Archive of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State. I would like to share with you a small example that is particularly memorable for the Catholic Church, ”he said.

"On February 9, 1916, my predecessor, Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, Secretary of State, wrote a letter to the American Jewish Committee in New York, where he states: 'The Supreme Pontiff [...], head of the Catholic Church, who - - faithful to its divine doctrine and its most glorious traditions - considers all men as brothers and teaches to love one another, will not cease to inculcate the observance among individuals, as among nations, of the principles of natural law, and to blame each of their violations. This right should be observed and respected in relation to the children of Israel as it should be as for all men, since it would not conform to justice and to religion itself to derogate from it only because of a difference in religious faith “.

The letter was written in response to the request of the American Jewish Committee on December 30, 1915, asking Pope Benedict XV to make an official statement "in the name of the horror, cruelty and hardship suffered by Jews in belligerent countries since the outbreak of the WWI."

Parolin recalled that the American Jewish Committee welcomed this response, writing in the American Hebrew and Jewish Messenger that it was "virtually an encyclical" and "among all the papal bulls ever issued against Jews during the history of the Vatican, a statement that equals this direct and unmistakable call for equality for Jews and against prejudice on religious grounds. […] It is gratifying that such a powerful voice has been raised, such an influential force, particularly in the regions where the Jewish tragedy is occurring, demanding equality and the law of love. It is bound to have a far-reaching beneficial effect. "

Parolin said this correspondence was just "a small example ... a small drop in an ocean of murky waters - showing that there is no basis for discriminating against someone on the grounds of faith."

The cardinal added that the Holy See considers interreligious dialogue an important means of countering anti-Semitism today.

According to data published earlier this week by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), more than 1.700 anti-Semitic hate crimes were committed in Europe in 2019. Incidents included murder, attempted arson, graffiti on synagogues, attacks on people wearing religious clothes and the desecration of tombs.

The OSCE also released data documenting 577 hate crimes driven by prejudice against Christians and 511 by prejudice against Muslims in 2019.

"The re-emergence of hatred against Jews, along with other forms of persecution against Christians, Muslims and members of other religions, must be analyzed at the root," said Cardinal Parolin.

"In the encyclical letter 'Brothers all', His Holiness Pope Francis offered a series of considerations and tangible ways on how to build a more just and fraternal world, in social life, in politics and in institutions," he said.

Cardinal Parolin provided the concluding remarks of the symposium. Other speakers included Rabbi Dr. David Meyer, Professor of Rabbinical Literature and Contemporary Jewish Thought at the Cardinal Bea Center for Judaic Studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and Dr. Suzanne Brown-Fleming of the Holocaust Memorial Museum of the United States.

US Ambassador Callista Gingrich said anti-Semitic incidents have risen to "near historic levels" in the United States, stressing that "this is inconceivable".

"The US government is also lobbying other governments to provide adequate security for their Jewish populations and is supporting the investigation, prosecution and punishment of hate crimes," he said.

"Currently, our government works with the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and other international organizations to address and combat anti-Semitism."

"Communities of faith, too, through partnerships, coalitions, dialogue and mutual respect, have an important role to play".