ROME (JTA) — Pope Benedict XVI wished Jews joy and blessings in the new year.
In a Rosh Hashanah message to Rome’s Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, the pontiff said he hoped that High Holiday celebrations "will bring copious blessings from the Eternal and be a source of profound joy" and that they "will grow in us to promote justice and peace, so needed by the world today."
The pope said he recalled his visit to Rome’s main synagogue Jan. 17 "with feelings of gratitude and affection" and concluded with the wish that "God, in his goodness, may protect the whole community and grant us to grow, in Rome and in the world, in mutual friendship."
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