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.”
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