A leading Vatican official declared today, “I do not believe the Jewish-Christian dialogue has slowed down. On the contrary, it is very much alive and well.” In his first appearance before a Jewish audience. The Most Reverend Jean Jadot, Apostolic Delegate in the United States, said that an “apparent regression” in Catholic-Jewish relations should not be seen as alarming. Rather, it is an indication “that a new stage of more sober and serious facing up of problems has begun.”
The Apostolic Delegate made his remarks in an address to 400 persons at a dinner of the Synagogue Council of America at the Essex House. The Council is the coordinating body for the national rabbinical and synagogal organizations of Conservative, Reform and Orthodox Judaism in the United States. Commenting on the significance of the Apostolic Delegate’s appearance before a Jewish audience, Rabbi Irwin M. Blank, president of the Council said that it was evident that “the process which the late and much beloved Pope John began in opening up discourse between the faith communities continues under Pope Paul.”
Referring to a “troubled past” which has marked the history of Catholic-Jewish relations. Bishop Jadot cited “the heavy debt that lies on the Christian side in coming to terms with our past alienation. The struggle against anti-Semitism is not over,” the Apostolic Delegate declared. “It merits our constant vigilance and should retain a first priority on our common agenda.”
In his address to the dinner guests, Rabbi Blank described a series of formal consultations with representatives of the Vatican which the Synagogue Council of America has participated in. He said that these consultations were responsible for a recent statement by a Vatican spokesman that the Roman Catholic Church no longer advocates the internationalization of Jerusalem. According to Rabbi Blank, the Vatican’s earlier support for the internationalization of the Holy City was a major source of tension between the Roman Catholic Church and world Jewry.
Consultations with representatives of the Vatican, he noted, have been carried on by the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, of which the Synagogue Council of America serves as International secretariat and coordinator. The other participants in this committee are World Jewish Congress, the Israel Interfaith Committee, American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith. Rabbi Blank stated that in a communication to the recently-held Conference of Islamic Countries in Lahore, Pakistan he had offered to join with religious representatives of Islam and of the Christian churches in an International conference on Jerusalem.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
