French Jews and Catholics met at Paris’ City Hall to discuss anti-Semitism and pay tribute to the late Pope John Paul II. The meeting Sunday was the third between community representatives. Pierre Besnainou, president of the European Jewish Community, said he was pleased by the “almost privileged relationship” between the two communities, but emphasized that much remains to be done, such as opening the Vatican’s Holocaust-era archives, fighting anti-Semitism and spreading the teachings of the Vatican II conference, when the church repudiated the idea of collective Jewish guilt for Jesus’ death. Also on the agenda was the creation of a joint effort to bring relief to suffering communities in Gabon, Africa. The group was hosted by Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, and several noted figures took part, including the grand rabbi of France, Joseph Sitruk, and Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger.
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