The Rev. Edward J. Flannery, head of Catholic-Jewish relations of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will leave that post Oct. 1 to return to his home diocese of Providence. RJ., the Conference announced today. Bishop James S. Rausch, general secretary of the Conference, said that Father Flannery will coordinate study programs for diocesan priests in Providence. No successor has been named by the Conference and no immediate reason was given for Flannery’s reassignment.
Flannery has directed the office of Catholic-Jewish Relations for the Conference since its founding at Seton Hall University in New Jersey 10 years ago. The office was moved to Washington in 1972. Bishop Rausch praised him for having demonstrated “exemplary zeal and total commitment for many years to deepening the relations between the Church and Judaism.”
He also said that Flannery has “played a major role among American churchmen in laying the groundwork for increased collaboration between Christians and Jews on a solid basis of mutual understanding and mutual esteem and many thousands of persons are profoundly grateful for his achievements.”
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