Other faiths react positively to Pope Francis’ approach

Pope Francis greets religious leaders during a meeting at the Vatican March 20. The pope met with the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and Jain delegations that had come to the Vatican for his inauguration. (CNS photo/via Reuters). L’Osservatore Romano Catholic News Service

Applauding the election of Pope Francis, Orthodox leaders are stressing their hope for continued cooperation with the Catholic Church during his pontificate.

“As head of the Russian church, I greet the new pontiff’s desire to care for the poor and suffering. These ministries are now a priority for the Russian Orthodox Church, and they open up possibilities for cooperation and interaction,” said Russian Orthodox Patriarch KirilI of Moscow.

The patriarch also stressed that Orthodox Christians and Catholics should work together to defend fellow believers in countries where they are persecuted and to affirm traditional moral values in the modern world.

Pope Francis said he plans renewed cooperation to further Catholic-Jewish relations and hopes to contribute to a world where all people live in harmony with the “will of the creator.”

In a message to Chief Rabbi Riccardo di Segni of Rome, the pope said he “profoundly hopes to be able to contribute to the progress that Jewish-Catholic relations have seen starting from the Second Vatican Council, in a spirit of renewed collaboration.”

He said he also hoped to be “at the service of a world that may grow in harmony with the will of the creator.”

The pope sent his “cordial greetings” to the head of Rome’s Jewish community the evening of his election March 13 and told the rabbi his installation Mass would be held March 19. The Vatican released a copy of the message to journalists March 15.

Rabbi di Segni, who attended the Mass, said the pope’s reference to continuing the work begun with Vatican II was “very, very important.”

Muslim leaders expressed hopes the new pope would help improve relations between Muslims and Catholics.

A spokesman for Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, president of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, said he hoped Pope Francis’ election would help normalize relations with the world of Islam.

“We are hoping for better relations with the Vatican after the election of the new pope,” said Mahmoud Azab, adviser to el-Tayeb on interfaith issues, March 13.