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Elder Ulisses Soares, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, met with Rabbi Ariel Stofenmacher in Rome. Rabbi Stofenmacher is the rector of the Marshall T. Meyer Latin American Rabbinical Seminary and founder of the Abarbanel University Institute.
The meeting took place on November 6, 2024, at the Rome Italy Temple grounds and visitors’ center. Elder Soares emphasized the importance of building bridges between faiths. “I think this is the best way we can build bridges, especially in this place, in [the] Rome Temple where we are, because this place attracts people from all faiths, people from all over the world, and then we can really share common beliefs,” he said. He appreciated Rabbi Stofenmacher's desire to foster interfaith connections.
Rabbi Stofenmacher shared his perspective on religious objectives: “At the end of the day, all religions have the same objective: make God’s presence on earth more real.” During their visit, they explored FamilySearch center located on the second floor of the visitors’ center. Rabbi Stofenmacher highlighted its significance for Jewish people worldwide: “FamilySearch helps people to find their own [ancestors]. We as Jewish people, we have been scattered all over the world,” he explained.
A memorable moment occurred when Rabbi Stofenmacher demonstrated that he had already used FamilySearch to trace three generations of his family history. Elder Soares remarked on this experience: “I thought that was a fabulous moment because Rabbi Stofenmacher has his own beliefs, but we are basing our relationship on common beliefs, which are family, family forever, connecting our ancestry with the present and our future.”
Elder Soares expressed gratitude towards those contributing to FamilySearch: “I just want to express my deep gratitude for all the people who work on family history that provided this great opportunity for all people from all faiths to find their history,” he stated.
The meeting included other participants such as Sister Rosana Soares; Elder Rubén Alliaud and his wife Fabiana; Guillermo Heisinger; Rabbi Luis Diaz; Ruth Libfrand; and Graciela Ciociano. This event marked Rabbi Stofenmacher's third meeting with leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ within a year.
