Rabbi, Pope discuss Europe's moral crisis
December 12, 2011
After a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on December 12, Britain’s Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks spoke at length with Vatican Radio about the need for Jews and Christians to work together in restoring Europe’s moral sense.
“We are very concerned obviously with the soul of Europe,” Rabbi Sachs said. “I mean, Europe was built on Judeo-Christian foundations, even the market was built on Judeo-Christian foundations.”
The British rabbi elaborated on how religious faith can affect modern society, not by authority but by moral suasion:
I think faith in the modern world--and I wouldn’t have it any other way--has no power at all. But it does have a great deal of influence. Now politics is about power. So politicians and religious figures inhabit different universes, although many politicians have strong religious faith, but it is difficult to know exactly how do you create a partnership between the two, which is one reason I came to see the Pope, because I think if Jewish and Christian voices are heard, along parallel lines, then they should not underestimate the influence they have.
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