A spokesman for Francis Cardinal Spellman today refused to comment on a report that the Cardinal had interceded with President Truman to have the city of Jerusalem internationalized.
The report, which emanated from Montreal, quoted the Rev. Raphael Quinn, secretary of the Roman Catholic Custodian of Holy Places, as the authority for the fact that Cardinal Spellman had interceded with President Truman. Father Quinn was also quoted as having charged that elements of the Israel forces were “wholly responsible for the defamation, bombing and destruction of many Holy Places” within Jerusalem.
He added that the Israel Ministry of Religion has disclaimed responsibility for these acts and “we are still without compensation or future assurance of safety.” Father Quinn said the Arabs have always respected the Holy Places and called King Abdullah of Transjordan a “great and good friend of the Franciscan Order.”
A report from Rome yesterday said that the Catholic Church would not be satisfied with any solution lese than internationalization of Jerusalem and the Holy Places in Palestine. The report emanated from Quotidiano, organ of the Catholic Action Party in Italy, and one of the publications through which the Vatican releases semi-official material.
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.
