John Cardinal O’Connor, the Archbishop of New York, had a “fascinating” one-hour visit with President Chaim Herzog at the Presidential residence here Sunday evening. He stressed to reporters afterwards that it was “private, unofficial … and within the guidelines set down by the Vatican.” He said he did more listening than talking.
O’Connor’s visit to Israel has been fraught with embarrassment and controversy ever since the prelate arrived Thursday morning because of his refusal to meet with Israeli leaders in their Jerusalem offices. He was acting on orders of the Vatican which does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
He is scheduled to meet with Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres at the latter’s residence Monday morning before leaving Israel for Rome.
Herzog received the Cardinal in his study where he often receives official visitors. The Presidential residence, Beit Hanassi, also serves as Herzog’s office. O’Connor, to emphasize the unofficial nature of his call, wore plain clerical garb without the crimson robes and decorations of a Cardinal he has displayed elsewhere during his stay in Israel. He was not accompanied by any member of the Apostolic Delegation staff, the low level diplomatic representation the Vatican maintains in Israel.
AN INFORMAL VISIT
When reporters pointed out that the Presidential Standard and Israeli flag flew over the residence, O’Connor seemed nonplussed. “I have not changed my mind about paying an official visit. I said right from the beginning that I could not pay an official visit on any senior official of the government in their offices,” he said.
“I was invited this morning to pay an unofficial, informal visit on the President in his home, which is what I said I would be willing to do if so invited,” O’Connor added.
Pressed by reporters to distinguish between a home and an office considering that Herzog conducts his official business from his residence, O’Connor replied:
“My understanding is that this is the President’s residence. If it is not the President’s residence, then there has been a gross mistake, because it was very clear, and I say this very seriously, it was very clear that it would not be appropriate for me, within my guidelines, to visit the President officially in his office, in Jerusalem.”
Peres does not use his residence as his office. O’Connor will simply be returning the visit Peres made to the Cardinal’s residence at New York Diocese headquarters next to St. Patrick’s Cathedral last October when Peres invited O’Connor to visit Israel.
WEIZMAN CUTS THE GORDIAN KNOT
The venue of both meetings was reportedly suggested to the prelate by Minister-Without-Portfolio Ezer Weizman when they met Saturday night at a reception in the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, given by Ambassador Thomas Pickering. There have been no arrangements for O’Connor to meet with Premier Yitzhak Shamir, a spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office said Sunday.
The Cardinal has repeatedly apologized for any offense he might have given Israelis and their leaders by refusing, on instructions from the Vatican, to meet the latter at their offices. He faulted himself for not being fully aware of the political ramifications when he first arranged the meetings.
A ROUTINE VISIT
Otherwise, the visit by the New York Roman Catholic leader has been routine. On Friday he visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial where, near tears, he found it difficult to express in words the horror he felt at viewing the Holocaust exhibits. He also visited the Western Wall where he kissed the stones.
On Friday morning he called on the parents of Zecharia Baumel, an Israeli soldier missing in Lebanon since 1982. The Cardinal prayed with the family for his welfare.
O’Connor toured Moslem shrines on the Temple Mount where he was received by the Mufti of Jerusalem, Saad E-Din Al Alami. The latter accused Israel of intentions to destroy the shrines. O’Connor made no comment.
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