VATICAN CITY - Religion should never be used to justify hatred and violence, Pope Benedict XVI said yesterday during a meeting with representatives of a Jewish group.

"May the Eternal One, our Father in heaven, bless every effort to eliminate from our world any misuse of religion as an excuse for hatred or violence," he told a delegation of the Anti-Defamation League.

	Advertisement

Benedict, who became embroiled in controversy over remarks about Islam last month, also said that Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders needed to work harder to improve dialogue and promote "authentic respect" among cultures and religions. He said that Christians, Muslims and Jews should build on the "many common convictions" they share.

"In our world today, religious, political, academic and economic leaders are being seriously challenged to improve the level of dialogue between peoples and between cultures. To do this effectively requires a deepening of our mutual understanding and a shared dedication to building a society of ever greater justice and peace.

"We need to know each other better and, on the strength of that mutual discovery, to build relationships not just of tolerance but of authentic respect," he added.

While Catholic-Jewish relations have improved, Benedict continued, initial steps "toward a more open conversation on religious themes" have so far been too tentative.