Jewish leader urges ‘reaffirmation’ of Abrahamic faith principles in Pope meeting

A European Jewish leader has told the Pope that there should be a “reaffirmation” of the principles that bind Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Moshe Kantor, head of the European Jewish Congress, met Pope Francis at the Vatican on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and gave him a blessing for his home.

The Pope said: “For us, remembering the victims of the Holocaust is important so that this human tragedy never happens again.”

Kantor said “Jews still bear the marks of the Shoah” and praised Francis for visiting Auschwitz last year, and for condemning global terrorism, which he has previously described as “a plague”.

Kantor added: “We need a reaffirmation of the principles that bind the three great monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, about what unites us and say a strong no to violence and hate, and yes to tolerance and reconciliation.”