Posted April 22, 2016

Archbishop Charles Chaput sent greetings to the Jewish community in the Philadelphia region as Passover was set to begin April 22. He extended his “prayerful best wishes” along with those of the clergy and lay people of the Philadelphia Archdiocese.

“Passover calls to mind the miracle of divine intervention in the history of the Chosen People,” the archbishop wrote. “Our Heavenly Father not only liberated the Jews from Pharaoh’s enslavement, but also set them on a path of divinely guided life in freedom.

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“There are new threats today to authentic freedom and human existence. All too many in our day eat the bread of affliction. These threats can cause us to be afraid and to feel abandoned. Yet Passover reminds us that we are not alone and can always rely on the Almighty to intervene and save us.”

Archbishop Chaput hoped Passover would bring to Jews “renewed hope and spiritual vitality,” and offered gratitude for support of the events surrounding the historic visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia.

“I take this occasion once again to thank the Jewish community for its notable generosity in making last September’s visit of Pope Francis so successful,” he wrote.