A bipartisan group of 23 members of the House has asked Pope John Paul II to announce Vatican recognition of Israel when he visits Rome’s main synagogue on Sunday.
“As members of the United States Congress of various faiths we commend your planned visit to Rome’s main synagogue,” the Congressmen said in a letter to the Pope initiated by Rep. Charles Schumer (D. N.Y.). “It is another thoughtful step in improving relations between Jews and Catholics.”
The Congressmen expressed the hope that the Pope “will use the opportunity of the synagogue visit to initiate the necessary steps toward official Vatican recognition of the State of Israel.”
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.
