Pope in Meeting with Anti-Defamation League Calls

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TAGS: PREL PHUM SOCI VT
SUBJECT: Pope in Meeting with Anti-Defamation League Calls
for Eradicating Anti-Semitism


1.(U) Summary: Meeting with representatives of the
Anti-Defamation League in Vatican City December 17, Pope
John Paul II called for the eradication of all forms of
racism, including anti-Semitism. The Pontiff emphasized
that the Catholic Church and the Jewish people enjoy close
bonds of friendship. ADL national Director Abraham Foxman
replied to the Pope's greeting with high praise for John
Paul II's efforts as a priest and as Pope to fight anti-
Semitism. He said the Catholic Church, at John Paul II's
behest, had reckoned with its past and had entered into a
partnership of mutual acceptance and cooperation with thcracy."
ADL National Director Abraham Foxman praised
the Pope's "true moral leadership" as a light to the world,
and expressed his appreciation for the Roman Catholic
Church's collaboration with ADL. The ADL president said
that Karol Wojtyla had defended Jews as a priest in Poland,
had denounced anti-Semitism as a 'sin against God and
humanity,' and had paid homage to victims of the Holocaust
at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. He added that the Pope's
historic visit to Ropme's synagogue had "breached centuries
of pain and mistrust." In a poignant personal note, Foxman
recalled that, during the Holocaust, his Catholic nanny
with the help of a Catholic priest had literally saved his
life. Foxman concluded that Catholics and Jews were "truly
together in history for the first time."


3. (SBU) Following the meeting with the Pope, Fr. Norbert
Hofmann, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Religious
Relations with the Jews and a 2005 IVP Recipient, told
Embassy that his Council was very pleased with the ADL's
December 15-16 Rome conference and the side meetings
between ADL representatives and Council President Walter
Kaspar. "I've never heard Foxman so positive about
Catholic-Jewish relations," Hoffmann observed.


4. (SBU) At a reception at the Israeli Ambassador's
following the event, Foxman affirmed the ADL's satisfaction
with the current state of Catholic-Jewish relations. He
told DCM that Pope John Paul II has largely succeeded in
putting the vision for improved relations outlined in the
Second Vatican Council's "Nostra Aetate" -- the framework
for the Church's relations with non-Christian religions --
into practice. At the same time, Foxman expressed concern
that anti-Semitism emanating from the Middle East was on
the rise worldwide, and would need continued and deepening
Vatican engagement to overcome its newest manifestations.


5. (SBU) A senior ADL representative told DCM the League
saw the primary challenge for the Holy See now in the realm
of education -- specifically, to expand understanding of
Nostra Aetate beyond the Roman Curia. In particular, ADL
was encouraging Holy See outreach in Latin America, where
they have found anti-Semitic opinions are more prevalent
than in Europe and North America. ADL's representative
pointed out that Nostra Aetate was not initially translated
into Spanish, and that pre-Vatican II teachings of the
responsibility of the Jewish people for Christ's
crucifixion were not widely circulated in Latin America or
replaced by Nostra Aetate's vision of a common spiritual
heritage and its formal rejection of all forms of anti-
Semitism.


6. (SBU) The only mild concern raised by ADL of the
Vatican related to the level of their participation in the
Rome conference, which attracted Italian FM Fini, EU
Commissioner Frattini, Senate President Pera, House Speaker
Cassini, and Interior Minister Pisanu. By contrast, the
Holy See sent the third ranking official in the
Congregation responsible for relations with non-Christian
religious. Foxman said he understood this related to the
co-sponsorship of the conference by the "Il Foglio"
newspaper, which is often critical of the Vatican. Father
Hofmann, however, denied that Il Foglio's co-sponsorship of
the conference led Cardinal Kasper to forego the ADL event
personally. "I've heard those rumors too," Hofmann said,
"but it's not true." Instead, Hofmann contended that the


ADL had only invited Kasper to participate three weeks ago
and Kaspar had made previous commitments that he could not
forego. "You might be able to get away with that for an
Italian Cardinal, but you've got to give a German Cardinal
more notice than that," fellow-German Hofmann chuckled. He
insisted that everything was "kosher" with the ADL, Il
Foglio, and the Vatican.


7. (SBU) Comment: Pope John Paul II's determination to
improve Jewish-Catholic relations, reflected in his
historic visits to Rome's synagogue and to Israel in 2000,
have clearly borne fruit. What was once a difficult
dialogue between Jewish groups and the Holy See is now
regular, cordial and open, with satisfaction on all sides
for the new level of understanding. The challenge ahead
for both sides will be to extend this understanding beyond
the center to ever more Bishops' Councils and local
churches. In this way, the Holy See can contribute
worldwide to ongoing efforts to overcome historic
prejudices and promote better inter-religious dialogue and
understanding. As Foxman concluded in his message to the
Pope: "We need more leaders like you to step forward,
raise their voices in condemnation, and to emulate your
exercise of true moral leadership."

Nicholson


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2004VATICA04911 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED