Yom Kippur Message of Unity and Peace

As our Jewish friends and neighbors observe Yom Kippur,

the Day of

Atonement, I want to extend my warmest wishes for a

meaningful and a peaceful day. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of

the Jewish year. For Jewish communities around the world,

it is

marked by fasting, prayer, and repentance, and by

seeking reconciliation with God and with one another.

Following on the joy of renewal of Rosh Hashanah just a few days

before,

Yom Kippur invites a searching examination of the year that

has passed and a commitment to the year ahead.

At the heart of this observance is the recognition that our

relationships with God and with one another

call us continually to reflection, repentance,

and renewal,

to consider how we can live more faithfully and more

generously. These themes also resonate deeply with us

as Catholics, and our relationship with the Jewish

people is not

simply a matter of dialogue between two religious communities.

It is rooted in the deep spiritual bonds that unite us,

including our shared patrimony and the scriptural

heritage from which both our traditions draw.

That is why building genuine friendship and understanding

between Jews and Catholics matters so deeply.

It is also why we must reject antisemitism in

all its forms and work together to ensure

that the Jewish people can live and worship free

from hatred and fear. As Catholics, we are called

not only to oppose antisemitism when it appears,

but also to deepen our understanding of Judaism and of the

Jewish people. The relationships that have grown between our

communities, particularly through the promulgation of

Nostra Aetate,

remind us that dialogue is not merely an exchange of

ideas. At its best, it creates friendships,

builds trust, and helps us recognize our

responsibilities toward one another.

On this Yom Kippur, may the year ahead bring greater

understanding, friendship, and peace among our

communities.

Gmar Chatima Tova.