Pope will visit Rome's synagogue in January

October 13, 2009

Pope Benedict XVI will visit the synagogue in Rome on January 17, the Vatican has announced. The announcement of the visit, which had been expected since September, when the Pope officially accepted an invitation from the local Jewish community, will take place on the Jewish feast of Mo'ed di Piombo, which commemorates the sudden rains that doused fires set in the ghetto of Rome during a pogrom in 1793.

Pope Benedict will be the second Roman Pontiff to visit the Roman synagogue, following the precedent set by Pope John Paul II. The January date will be his third visit to a synagogue. He met with Jewish community leaders during his trips to Cologne in 2005 and New York in 2008.

The Vatican also announced on October 13 that the Pope will visit the Roman headquarters of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on November 16, during an FAO conference for the World Summit on Food Security.

 

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Further information:

• Pope to visit Rome synagogue (ANSA)
• Papal Visits to FAO and to Synagogue of Rome (VIS)