The governing council of the World Jewish Congress wound up its meetings here yesterday by endorsing a program to work more closely with Roman Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians. The delegates, representing Jewish communities all over the world, agreed to confer more frequently with Christian leaders on mutual problems.
A spokesman for the WJ Congress said the framework for closer ties already existed. He said, “Catholics and Protestants are increasingly aware that Jews are more than a people of a specific religion.” Dr. Joachim Prinz, of Orange, N.J., chairman of the governing council, said the meeting had cleared the air on several questions, notably Jewish relations with the Vatican. Pope Paul VI was criticized by many Jewish leaders last week for his note of sympathy to President Charles Helou, of Lebanon. It was interpreted in Jewish circles as a condemnation of Israel’s Dec. 28 reprisal raid on Beirut Airport without condemning Arab terrorism. Dr. Nahum Goldmann, WJ Congress president, said following an audience with the Pope Monday, that the Pontiff had given assurances that his message was not intended to be anti-Israel.
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