Pope meets British Jewish leaders at Vatican

Pope Francis speaks with members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the umbrella organization for UK Jewry, at the Vatican.

The organization’s president, Marie van der Zyl, and the head of its board, Michael Wegier, “conversed with His Holiness for a few minutes” following his weekly general audience, the organization says.

According to the Board of Deputies, van der Zyl thanks the pope “for his significant efforts towards Holocaust Remembrance and speaking out against antisemitism,” and presents him with a gift of a rare, signed volume of the History of the Great Synagogue, written by British Jewish historian Cecil Roth.

“As two historic religious communities, the relationship between the Jewish and Catholic communities is of great significance,” says van der Zyl. “As faith communities, we will continue to build on this relationship and work together to further combat bigotry, protect religious freedoms and create bridges of understanding between our communities.”