Vatican Organ Objects to New Jewish Communities Law in Italy: We Cannot See It Says to What Purpose

The “Osservatore Romano”, the official organ of the Vatican, raises objection in a long article on the recently published Italian Jewish Communities Law (reported in the J.T.A. Bulletin of the 19th. inst.) to several of the provisions of the law, particularly that which deals with the organisation of a legally-recognised Federation of Jewish Communities in Italy. What grounds has the Government, the “Osservatore Romano” asks, for creating a Federation out of the various Jewish Communities which have hitherto been conducting an autonomous activity? The Federation, it says, means the establishment of a formal Jewish religious organisation in Italy. It is explained that the Federation will be entrusted with purely administrative functions, yet at the same time Article 36 of the law lays it down that the Federation shall take part in the general religious and social activities relating to Judaism and shall maintain contact with the Jewish Communities abroad. These are not merely formal matters, the paper complains. They constitute a programme of activities, and we cannot see to what purpose a Catholic State issues such laws.