Rome chief rabbi, Pope meet at Vatican

The chief rabbi of Rome, Riccardo Di Segni, met with Pope Francis in the Vatican.

The religious leaders discussed issues surrounding immigration to Europe, current humanitarian crises and social issues during Monday morning’s meeting.

The meeting was described by a spokesman for the Jewish community as “cordial.” He said that the pope and the rabbi expressed hope that the two religions would cooperate more intensely to reach common solutions.

Di Segni had been expected to join a delegation of European rabbis that met with the pope early last week to discuss anti-Semitism in Europe and recent attacks on Christian communities in the Middle East and in Asia, but he had to miss the meeting in order to pay his last respects to his predecessor, emeritus chief rabbi of Rome Elio Toaff, who died that day at the age of 99.

— JTA