POPE CONDEMNS DESECRATION OF JEWISH CEMETARY AND

UNCLAS VATICAN 003634 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT. EUR FOR A/S JONES, EUR/WE (MENNUTI) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL IT VT SUBJECT: POPE CONDEMNS DESECRATION OF JEWISH CEMETARY AND ANTI-SEMITISM ¶1. (U) POPE JOHN PAUL II CONDEMNED GROWING ANTI-SEMITISM IN EUROPE AFTER THIRTY-FIVE JEWISH GRAVES IN A ROME CEMETERY WERE DESECRATED JULY 18. IN A TELEGRAM TO ROME'S CHIEF RABBI JULY 19 PUBLISHED ON THE VATICAN'S WEBSITE, THE POPE DESCRIBED THE DESECRATION AS A "DETESTABLE ACT THAT FOLLOWS OTHER SIMILAR EVENTS OF A SERIOUS NATURE THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITH ALARMING FREQUENCY IN EUROPE AND ON OTHER UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 03634 231459Z CONTINENTS." THE POPE "STRONGLY CONDEMNED SIMILAR IGNOBLE ACTS AND ANTI-SEMITIC SENTIMENTS THAT INSPIRE SUCH ACTS, AND OFFERED HIS SYMPATHY TO THE FAMILIES AFFECTED BY THE ACTS. ¶2. (SBU) COMMENT: THE POPE REGULARLY SENDS MESSAGES TO COMMUNITY AND NATIONAL LEADERS IN RESPONSE TO MAJOR CALAMITIES. HIS TELEGRAM TO ROME'S JEWISH COMMUNITY IS THE ONLY ONE IN RECENT MEMORY TO CONDEMN ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACKS, AND SUGGESTS A GROWING CONCERN ON THE PART OF THE VATICAN FOR THE RISE OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN EUROPE. A JOURNALIST CONTACT TOLD US THAT OVER DINNER THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, THE ISRAELI DCM HAD MENTIONED HE WAS NOT EXPECTING VATICAN COMMENTARY ON THE DESECRATION. EMBASSY HAS RECENTLY ENCOURAGED CURIA OFFICIALS TO USE THE HOLY SEE'S MORAL VOICE TO COUNTER RESURGENT ANTI-SEMITISM AND OTHER FORMS OF RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA IN EUROPE. END COMMENT. NICHOLSON UNCLASSIFIED > 2002VATICA03634 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED