Archbishop of Canterbury and Israeli Chief Rabbis to launch dialogue

-28/07/06

Archbish


Archbishop of Canterbury and Israeli Chief Rabbis to launch dialogue

-28/07/06

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams is set to welcome the Chief Rabbinate of Israel to Lambeth Palace in September 2006. Chief Rabbis Shlomo Amar and Yonah Metzger will travel to London for a special meeting with Dr Williams, during which a joint declaration will be signed, establishing a new shared dialogue process.

Lambeth says that the exchange, which will be developed over the coming years, is intended to bring a further important strand to the range of relationships between the spiritual leader of the worldís 77 million Anglicans and other religious leaders and institutions internationally.

There will be a particular concern for the Middle East in the dialogue, which is similar to the Anglican conversations established in 2002 with Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, considered the most important religious university in the Muslim world.

The exchange between the Archbishop and the Rabbinate builds on relationships developed in the Alexandria Process. This latest initiative has also been welcomed by the bishops of the Anglican churches of the region. It is intended to lead to a strengthening of wider inter-religious relationships in the area and beyond.

Dr Williams will welcome the Chief Rabbis to Lambeth Palace, his official residence and office in London, on 5 September. The joint declaration will be signed in the presence of leaders of the Jewish and Christian communities and the main Christian-Jewish dialogue organisations in the UK.

Dr Williams says he is encouraged by the development: ìI am delighted that we are now able to establish this important dialogue which enables religious leaders to discuss matters of concern. The more we are able to develop ways of listening to one concerns and interest, the better our understanding will be of one anotherís hopes and fears.î

For some years now, there have been discussions between the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the office of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel about the possibility of creating a framework for a continuing process of dialogue.

These discussions culminated in agreement on the freshly announced meeting between Archbishop Rowan Williams and Chief Rabbis Amar and Metzger.

The discussions have their historical roots in the development of Jewish Christian relations since the foundational document ëNostra Aetateí of the Roman Catholic Second Vatican Council in 1965.

They include the recommendations of the Lambeth Conferences of worldwide Anglican bishops in 1988 and 1998; the joint declaration by the Presidents of the Council of Christians and Jews on anti-Semitism in 2001; the towards the Alexandria declaration in 2002; the strong support for the inauguration of a national Holocaust Memorial Day in the United Kingdom; and in statements made by the Archbishop on those and other occasions.

Lambeth Palace adds: ìThe Holy Land has a very special place in the heritage of Christians and Jews as indeed for Muslims. Whilst there is a longing for peace and justice, the Holy Land and its people, Jewish, Christian and Muslim, continue to suffer all forms of violence and its consequences. The partners in the proposed dialogue are committed to peace and justice in the Holy Land and believe that it is both a sign and a potentially fruitful action to that end.î

In 2004 Dr Williams gave a highly praised lecture on the substance of Christian belief to imams and academics at the Al Azhar al Sharif.

[Also on Ekklesia: Pope urges more Christian-Jewish dialogue; Jewish groups urge Archbishop to have moral strength over disinvestment; WCC rejects anti-Semitism accusations; Williams under fire over backing for disinvestment; Chief Rabbi attacks C of E over disinvestment decision; Pope Benedict invited to Rome synagogue; Stay awake to the wider world, British and Irish churches urged; Gibson’s Passion may have increased anti-Semitic attacks Muslim leader denounces religious extremism; Williams to make 9/11 speech praising Islam; Williams says revenge betrays God]


Archbishop of Canterbury and Israeli Chief Rabbis to launch dialogue

-28/07/06

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams is set to welcome the Chief Rabbinate of Israel to Lambeth Palace in September 2006. Chief Rabbis Shlomo Amar and Yonah Metzger will travel to London for a special meeting with Dr Williams, during which a joint declaration will be signed, establishing a new shared dialogue process.

Lambeth says that the exchange, which will be developed over the coming years, is intended to bring a further important strand to the range of relationships between the spiritual leader of the worldís 77 million Anglicans and other religious leaders and institutions internationally.

There will be a particular concern for the Middle East in the dialogue, which is similar to the Anglican conversations established in 2002 with Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, considered the most important religious university in the Muslim world.

The exchange between the Archbishop and the Rabbinate builds on relationships developed in the Alexandria Process. This latest initiative has also been welcomed by the bishops of the Anglican churches of the region. It is intended to lead to a strengthening of wider inter-religious relationships in the area and beyond.

Dr Williams will welcome the Chief Rabbis to Lambeth Palace, his official residence and office in London, on 5 September. The joint declaration will be signed in the presence of leaders of the Jewish and Christian communities and the main Christian-Jewish dialogue organisations in the UK.

Dr Williams says he is encouraged by the development: ìI am delighted that we are now able to establish this important dialogue which enables religious leaders to discuss matters of concern. The more we are able to develop ways of listening to one concerns and interest, the better our understanding will be of one anotherís hopes and fears.î

For some years now, there have been discussions between the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the office of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel about the possibility of creating a framework for a continuing process of dialogue.

These discussions culminated in agreement on the freshly announced meeting between Archbishop Rowan Williams and Chief Rabbis Amar and Metzger.

The discussions have their historical roots in the development of Jewish Christian relations since the foundational document ëNostra Aetateí of the Roman Catholic Second Vatican Council in 1965.

They include the recommendations of the Lambeth Conferences of worldwide Anglican bishops in 1988 and 1998; the joint declaration by the Presidents of the Council of Christians and Jews on anti-Semitism in 2001; the towards the Alexandria declaration in 2002; the strong support for the inauguration of a national Holocaust Memorial Day in the United Kingdom; and in statements made by the Archbishop on those and other occasions.

Lambeth Palace adds: ìThe Holy Land has a very special place in the heritage of Christians and Jews as indeed for Muslims. Whilst there is a longing for peace and justice, the Holy Land and its people, Jewish, Christian and Muslim, continue to suffer all forms of violence and its consequences. The partners in the proposed dialogue are committed to peace and justice in the Holy Land and believe that it is both a sign and a potentially fruitful action to that end.î

In 2004 Dr Williams gave a highly praised lecture on the substance of Christian belief to imams and academics at the Al Azhar al Sharif.

[Also on Ekklesia: Pope urges more Christian-Jewish dialogue; Jewish groups urge Archbishop to have moral strength over disinvestment; WCC rejects anti-Semitism accusations; Williams under fire over backing for disinvestment; Chief Rabbi attacks C of E over disinvestment decision; Pope Benedict invited to Rome synagogue; Stay awake to the wider world, British and Irish churches urged; Gibson’s Passion may have increased anti-Semitic attacks Muslim leader denounces religious extremism; Williams to make 9/11 speech praising Islam; Williams says revenge betrays God]