Antonio Cardinal Caggliano, the Primate of Argentina and the highest ranking Roman Catholic official in this country, has condemned recent Israeli air raids against terrorist bases in Syria and Lebanon. “Just as we have condemned the violence against the Israeli athletes in Munich, we censure now this monstrous action of revenge,” Cardinal Caggliano declared Friday at a memorial mass for the raid victims held in the Metropolitan Cathedral.
It was attended by members of the Arab-Christian community and the ambassadors of Syria and Egypt, the Lebanese Charge d’Affaires, the director of the Arab League Office, representatives of Arab institutions and school children.
The Lebanese community committee here issued a statement alleging that more than 1000 men, women and children in Lebanon were “innocent martyrs of Zionist vandalism.” The statement claimed that “Lebanon, an example of peace, culture and love, is the country which humanely received thousands of persecuted Jews. Why not receive also humanely the Palestinians thrown out of their own country?” the statement said.
Cardinal Caggliano declared that “The law of the talon, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, has been condemned by Jesus. It is not valid in Argentina and should not be in any part of the world.” Last Thursday, Columbus Day, passed without incident here following several weeks of rumors that extremist elements would launch a “pogrom” against Argentine Jewry on that day. Nevertheless, Jewish institutions are continuing to take extreme precautionary measures.
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