Greetings Greetings XXI HisHoliness, Pope Francis Dear friends, Ioffer youawarm welcome and thank youfor your presencehere. Iamgrateful for the noble aim that brings youhere: to reflect together, from varyingpoints of view,onthe responsibility of States, institutions and individuals in the struggle against antisemitism and crimes associatedwith antisemitic hatred. Iwould like to emphasize one word: responsibility.Weare responsible when we are able to respond. It is not merelyaquestion of analyzingthe causes of violence and re- futing theirperverse reasoning, but of being actively prepared to respond to them. Thus, the enemyagainst which we fight is not onlyhatredinall of its forms, but even more fundamentally, indifference; for it is indifference that pa- ralyzes and impedes us from doing what is right even when we know that it is right. Idonot grow tired of repeatingthat indifferenceisavirus thatisdangerous- ly contagious in our time, atime whenweare ever more connected with others, but are increasinglylessattentive to others. Andyet the global context should help us understand that none of us is an island and none will have afuture of peace without one that is worthyfor all. The Book of Genesis helps us to un- derstand that indifference is an insidious evil crouchingatman’sdoor (cf. Gen 4:7). It is the subject of debate between the creatureand his Creator at the begin- ning of history,assoon as the Creator asks Cain: “Where is your brother?” But Cain, who has just killed his brother,does not replytothe question, does not ex- plain “where.” On the contrary,heprotests that he is autonomous: “Am Imy brother’skeeper?” (Gen 4:9). His brother does not interest him: here is the root of perversity, the root of death that producesdesperation and silence.Irecall the roar of the deafening silence Isensed twoyears agoinAuschwitz-Birkenau: adisturbing silence thatleavesspace onlyfor tears,for prayer and for the beg- ging of forgiveness. Faced with the virus of indifference, the root of hatred, what vaccine can we administer?The Book of Deuteronomycomes to our aid. After along journey through the desert,Moses addressed abasiccounsel to the Chosen People: “Re- memberyour whole journey” (Deut 8:2).Tothe people longingfor the promised future, wisdom was suggesting one look back, turning one’sglance to the steps alreadycompleted. And Moses did not simply say, “think of the journey,” but re- member,orbring alive;donot let the past die. Remember,that is, “return with your heart:” do not onlyformthe memory in your mind, but in the depths of your soul, with your whole being.And do not form amemory onlyofwhat youlike, but of “your whole journey.” We have justcelebrated International Hol- XXII Greetings ocaust Remembrance Day. In order to recover our humanity,torecover our human understanding of reality and to overcomesomanydeplorable forms of apathytowardsour neighbor,weneed this memory,this capacity to involve our- selvestogether in remembering. Memory is the key to accessing the future, and it is our responsibility to hand it on in adignified waytoyoung generations. In this regard, Iwould like to mentionadocument of the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, whose twentieth anniversary of publication we celebrate this year.The title is eloquent: We Remember: aReflection on the Shoah (16 March 1998).¹ It was Saint John Paul II’sfervent hope thatit“would enable memory to playits necessary part in the process of shapingafuture in which the unspeakable iniquity of the Shoah will never again be possible.”² The text speaksofthis memory,which we Christians are called to safeguard, to- gether with our elder Jewishbrothers: “However,itisnot onlyaquestion of re- calling the past.The common future of Jews and Christians demands that we re- member, for ‘thereisnofuture without memory.’ History itself is memoria futuri.”³ To build our history,which will either be together or will not be at all, we need acommon memory,living and faithful, thatshould not remain imprisoned in resentment but,though rivenbythe night of pain, should open up to the hope of anew dawn.The Church desires to extend her hand.She wishes to remember and to walk togetherwith our Jewishbrothers and sisters.Onthis journey, “the Church, mindful of the patrimonyshe shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel’sspiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at anytime and by anyone.”⁴ Dear friends, maywehelp one another in turn to grow aculture of respon- sibility,ofmemory and of closeness, and to establish an alliance against indif- ference, against every form of indifference.The potentialities of information will certainlybeofassistance; even more important will be thoseofformation. We need urgentlytoeducateyounggenerations to become activelyinvolvedin the struggle against hatred and discrimination, but also in the overcoming of Cf. “We Remember: aReflection on the Shoah,” Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews,accessed July 17,2018, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/ documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_16031998_shoah_en.html. Ibid., “Letter of PopeJohn Paul II,” 12 March1998. “We Remember:aReflection on the Shoah,” I:2. His Holiness, PopePaulVI, NostraAetate: Declaration On TheRelation Of TheChurch To Non- Christian Religions,issued October 28,1965(accessed July 17,2018, http://www.vatican.va/ar chive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en. html), 4. Greetings XXIII conflictingpositions in the past,and never to grow tired of seeking the other. Indeed, to prepareatrulyhuman future, rejecting evil is not enough; we need to build the common good together.Ithank youfor your commitment in all of these matters.May the Lordofpeace accompanyyou and bless every one of your good intentions.Thank you. Pope Francis (JorgeMario Bergoglio)was elected Pope of the Catholic Church in 2013. He took the name Francis after SaintFrancis of Assisi, who was known for his embrace of poverty and chastity. Bibliography Commission forReligious Relations withthe Jews. “We Remember: aReflection on the Shoah.” Accessed July 17,2018. http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/ chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_16031998_shoah_en.html. Commission forReligious Relations withthe Jews. “Letter of Pope John Paul II.” Issued 12 March 1998. Accessed July 17,2018. http:// www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_coun cils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_16031998_shoah_en.html. Pope Paul VI. NostraAetate: Declaration On The Relation Of The Church To Non-Christian Religions. Issued October 28, 1965. Accessed July 17,2018. http://www.vatican.va/ar chive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_ en.html. XXIV Greetings AlexanderVan der Bellen FederalPresident of the Republic of Austria It has been apleasure for me to attend the opening of the international confer- ence “An End to Antisemitism!” in February 2018. The theme of the conference has been timely: Although the horrors of the “industrialized” mass murder of the National Socialist Holocaust took place almostalifetime ago, antisemitism con- tinues to be an issue today. Hostility towards minorities is not athing of the past but still afrighteningpartofthe present,likelytochallengeusalso in the future. Consequences of Racial Fanaticism We are all painfullyaware of the devastating consequences of racial fanaticism in the 20th century.Weall know thatmillions of Jews and members of other mi- norities wereforcefullydisplaced and murdered in its name.Today, we are also aware of the extent of damagethatthe persecution of religious and ethnic minor- ities inflicted on society itself. This damageonour society—asociety,which had considered itself enlight- ened, modern and humanistic at the dawn of the last century—was enormous. When people are drivenout from our midst and murdered it changes the con- sciousnessofanentire generation and that of those who follow. After the end of the National Socialist reign of terror,perpetrators,but also those who had remained silent and inactive,who had not opposed this insanity —neither of them werethe sameasbefore 1938. Those ten thousands of people who weredisplaced and murdered—artists, intellectuals, writers and scientists, and all other parts of the Austrian Jewish society—left an enormous void. Our country has lost awealth of creativity and knowledge,ofspirit and culture, of diversity and togetherness. Historical and Present Day Antisemitism Forcenturies priortothe holocaust, antisemitism hadled to pillaging, persecution andforced displacement in Austriaand Europe.But it wasonlyinthe 20th century, that theNationalSocialistsperfected theirperverseregimeofinjustice,organized persecution, andmurderonanunprecedentedscale.The National Socialistsex- ploited theantisemitismpresent in wide circlesofsocietyfor theirpolitical goals. Greetings XXV Agreat European, the Hungarian novelistand winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Imre Kertész, said: Remembering the Holocaust is necessary.Inorder to prevent it fromhappeningagain.But sinceAuschwitz, nothinghappened which would makeanother Auschwitz impossible. […] BeforeAuschwitz, it was unimaginable. Now it is not anymore.⁵ Nowadays,new forms of antisemitism are emerging.Criticism of Israel does not equate to antisemitism. But often, that criticism provides aplatform for antisem- itic ideas or clichés. This new antisemitismisaphenomenon which is cropping up and slowlytaking effect in