Vatican-Jewish dialogue says religious values crucial to society

Published: 2005-07-12

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Laws promoting religious values are legitimate if they protect the human rights and freedom of expression of all citizens, said members of a high-level Vatican-Jewish dialogue commission. "Religious values are crucial for the well-being of the individual and society," said representatives of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Vatican's Commission for Religious Relations With the Jews. The representatives met June 26-28 in Jerusalem for the fifth meeting in a dialogue that began in 2002. The meeting focused on "the relationship between religious and civil authority in the Jewish and Christian traditions." According to a statement released July 12 at the Vatican, the meeting was opened by Israel's Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar, "who expressed his fervent support for the dialogue to emphasize profound shared values of the two traditions while not ignoring the distinctions that make us different faith communities."

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .