Franziskus Cardinal Koening, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vienna, assured the Arab League today that the Vatican Ecumenical Council’s document exonerating Jews of the charge of the crucifixion of Jesus “was without any political motives and had no political aims.”
The Archbishop sought to reassure the Arabs that the Vatican policy toward Israel remained the same. Archbishop Koenig was in Cairo at the invitation of the Egyptian Foreign Minister. He met with officials of the Arab League and Moslem religious authorities.
After meeting Arab League officials, he told newsmen; “I explained to the Arab League officials how sorry I feel because the document was misinterpreted. As far as the Catholic Church is concerned the document is purely religious.” He met Sheikh Hassan Mamcun, rector of Alazhar University and highest religious leader of the Arab world.
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