Full text of pope’s Passover message for Jewish community

Francis I addresses telegram to Rome’s chief rabbi, with whom pontiff met last week

Pope Francis I sent a Passover greeting Monday via telegram to the chief rabbi of Rome’s Jewish community, Riccardo di Segni. The full text of the message, translate from the Italian, is below:

A few days on from our meeting, and with renewed gratitude for your having desired to honour the celebration of the beginning of my ministry with your presence and that of other distinguished members of the Jewish community, I take great pleasure in extending my warmest best wishes to you and Rome’s entire Jewish community on the occasion of the Great Feast of Pesach. May the Almighty, who freed His people from slavery in Egypt to guide them to the Promised Land continue to deliver you from all evil and to accompany you with His blessing. I ask you to pray for me, as I assure you of my prayers for you, confident that we can deepen [our] ties of mutual esteem and friendship. – FRANCIS

Translation courtesy of Vatican Radio.