Catholic clergy make pilgrimage to Israel

Some 600 Catholic clergymen and French officials are on a four-day pilgrimage to Israel. The tour, sponsored and hosted by the Israeli Tourism Ministry, is led by Archbishop Andre Vingt-Trois. On Monday night, the archbishop participated in a symposium at Tel Aviv University on ethics and security in the 21st century along with Israeli Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar, university President Itamar Rabinovich and World Jewish Congress official Rabbi Israel Singer. Rabinovich told the gathering that he hoped to see an increase in visits by French Catholic organizations to Israel. During the war with Hezbollah last summer, almost all non-Jewish groups and individuals scheduled to visit Israel canceled, including Catholic church groups. The pilgrimage includes a visit to the Galilee, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and a meeting with Palestinian Catholic officials.