Funeral services will be held Tuesday at Woodstock College, a Jesuit seminary in Maryland, for the Rev. Dr. Gustave Weigel, a world-famous Catholic theologian who was known for his advocacy of the plan for adoption by the Ecumenical Council of a statement absolving Jews of blame for the Crucifixion of Jesus and calling for better relations between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people. Father Weigel died here this weekend, aged 57.
Dr. Weigel was an adviser to the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Promotion of Christian Unity, headed by Augustin Cardinal Bea. During the last session of the Ecumenical Council, he acted as one of the priests who reported to the world press about the debates inside the closed sessions of the Council.
Last July, it was Father Weigel who revealed, at the annual meeting of the National Community Relations Advisory Council, in Atlantic City, that the first session of the Ecumecial. Council had shunted aside a proposed statement condemning anti-Semitism because there were fears that such a statement might be interpreted by Arab states as a pro-Israel attitude.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
