Israeli University honors Pope Francis for extending warmth towards Jewish nation
Pope Francis visited Israel for the first time in May where he called for peace in the region.
By ARIEL COHENPope Francis(photo credit: REUTERS)
On Monday the Pope received an audience at the Vatican from Bar Ilan University to accept the Israeli university’s highest honor and award of distinction.A spokesperson from the Israeli university said they honored the Pope for “his contribution to understanding and tolerance between Christians and Jews and the warmth he has extended toward the Jewish nation, particularly during his official visit to Israel.”Pope Francis visited the Holy Land for the first time in May and he called for peace in the region. Since then, the Pope has been a voice of reason and worked to create peace in the Middle East not only in Israel, but in other countries too.“Through a variety of ongoing dialogue programs aimed at fostering understanding and acceptance, Bar-Ilan University has been working to bridge gaps between various sectors of Israeli society for many years. It is therefore a deep privilege to be meeting with and honoring the Pope, who has taken it upon himself to undertake this tremendous task on a worldwide scale," Bar Ilan University President Rabbi Professor Daniel Hershkowit said.Other university officials were present as well as a delegation of Jewish and non-Jewish business people from South America and Spain were expected to attend the event.
