US embassy cable - 04VATICAN1302

UNCLAS  VATICAN 001302 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE-LEVIN; EUR/OHI (BRAUM); NEA/IAI; EUR/RPM 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, SOCI, IS, VT 
SUBJECT:  RELATIONS WITH JEWS AND ANTI-SEMITISM HIGH ON 
VATICAN AGENDA 
 
REF: A) Vatican 0260; B) 03 Vatican 5190; C) Vatican 1150 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (SBU) The Holy See has placed its dialogue with Judaism and 
efforts to combat anti-Semitism high on its agenda, as 
reflected in recent Papal statements, high profile 
meetings, and an increasingly active inter-religious 
dialogue.  Vatican relations with Judaism have been 
steadily improving since the 1960s, and Pope John Paul II 
has made the issue a personal priority, doing more than any 
other modern pope to promote better inter-religious ties. 
Though the uncertain boundaries between religion and 
politics can create challenges to relations, as can 
controversies such as that surrounding Mel Gibson's film, 
"The Passion of the Christ," the Holy See is determined to 
weather these tempests and deepen the dialogue.  The Holy 
See is sending a high-level delegation to the OSCE's April 
anti-Semitism conference in Berlin.  End Summary. 
 
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Combating Anti-Semitism: A Vatican Priority 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Father Norbert Hofmann of the Holy See's 
Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews recently 
reviewed with Poloff the Vatican's efforts to use its moral 
influence to combat anti-Semitism on a global scale. 
Hofmann, the Vatican's pointman on the issue, served as a 
papal delegate to the June 2003 OSCE conference in Vienna, 
which recognized anti-Semitism as a human rights issue, and 
will also be a member of the Holy See's delegation to the 
April OSCE anti-Semitism conference in Berlin.  Hofmann 
described his work as a priority for the Vatican, and a 
crucial piece of the Pope's broader effort to promote 
religious dialogue and toleration.  Hofmann noted that in 
the framework of the CatholicJewish dialogue, the issues 
of anti-Semitism and of broader relations between the 
religions were inseparable.  Any attempt to enrich dialogue 
with the Jews, he explained, also had to address anti- 
Semitism, since the subject is such a crucial part of the 
Jewish experience, historically and today. 
 
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Steady Progress in Relations 
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3. (SBU) Hoffman traced for us the evolution of Catholic 
relations with the Jewish community in recent decades, 
noting that the landscape had changed dramatically since 
the 1950s.  The 1965 Second Vatican Council declaration on 
the relationship of the Catholic Church with non-Christian 
religions, Nostra Aetate, repudiated the historical charge 
that the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus and 
initiated a new relationship between the two faiths.  The 
declaration also established the Vatican's Commission for 
Religious Dialogue with the Jews, which Hofmann said came 
to be housed in the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity 
as an acknowledgement of the shared roots of Christianity 
and Judaism.  Since this time, numerous initiatives have 
encouraged greater understanding between the two faiths; 
for example, since the 1960s Jews and Catholics have taken 
part in an annual Day of Dialogue to promote tolerance and 
understanding. 
 
4. (SBU)  A series of reforms and directives initiated by 
the Holy See have also addressed the way the laity and 
clergy addresses Judaic issues and the way they are taught 
in Catholic catechesis.  A Vatican document released March 
8 instructing bishops on the exercise of their ministry, 
for example, instructs them to encourage respect for Jews 
in order to combat anti-Semitism.  It also asks bishops to 
ensure that the study of Judaism is on the curriculum in 
their seminaries for priests.  Hofmann endorsed this 
approach, observing that the Holy See seeks to use 
Christianity's Jewish roots as a springboard to combat 
anti-Semitism and promote dialogue.  He said such 
initiatives had in fact filtered down to the grassroots 
level of the Catholic Church. 
 
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New Impetus under Pope John Paul II 
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5. (SBU) Following the new openings of Vatican II, Pope 
 
 
John Paul II has made giant strides in combating anti- 
Semitism and in the Holy See's relations with Jews, Hofmann 
said.  Under this Pope, the Vatican has used a combination 
of papal statements, education initiatives, and periodic 
conferences to advance its agenda.  The 2000 visit to 
Jerusalem by the Pope, in which he prayed at the Western 
Wall and apologized for Christian contributions to anti- 
Semitism, was a seminal moment in the relationship.  But it 
was far from an isolated gesture.  The Pope had made an 
historic visit to Rome's synagogue in 1986 -- the first 
modern-era pope to visit a synagogue -- and has since 
maintained excellent relations with the city's Jewish 
community.  [Comment:  Rome's Chief Rabbi has invited the 
Pope to the synagogue's centenary celebrations later this 
spring.  Hofmann told us March 26 that he was still waiting 
to hear if the Pope would be able to attend.  End comment.] 
More recently, Israel's Chief Rabbis expressed their thanks 
to the Pope for his strong condemnation of anti-Semitism 
during a January 16 audience. 
 
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Symbolic Events Helpful to Dialogue 
----------------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) Hofmann said that symbolic events such as the 
January 17 Papal Concert of Reconciliation organized at the 
initiative of the Embassy (ref a), during which Pope John 
Paul II sat flanked by Rome's Emeritus Chief Rabbi Elio 
Toaff and Imam Abdulawahab Hussein Gomaa, reflected 
continued growth in the relations with Judaism and the 
shared impetus to battle prejudice.  While music could only 
go so far, Hoffman said, he believed that the similar 
events in other areas could inspire more "concrete 
collaboration to be carried out in daily life."  Similarly, 
gestures such as the Pope's March 29 audience with a 
delegation from the American Jewish Joint Distribution 
Committee (JDC) -- which was given prominent coverage in 
Vatican media -- help build trust and understanding.  JDC 
President Eugene Ribakoff told the Ambassador his group 
felt very warmly received by the Pope and felt that he 
understood their concerns as Jews.  "We were really on the 
same wavelength," he said.  As far as JewishCatholic 
relations went, Ribakoff declared that "this pope has 
changed the Vatican." 
 
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"The Passion" Creates Controversy 
--------------------------------- 
 
7.  (SBU) Helpful symbols and dialogue notwithstanding, 
Hofmann told us that controversy could flare quickly in the 
world of inter-religious relations.  He pointed to the 
firestorm that had erupted over alleged anti-Semitism in 
the film "The Passion of the Christ," and recounted the 
recent visit to the Vatican of Abe Foxman of the Anti- 
Defamation League to encourage Holy See officials to speak 
out against the film.  Hofmann said his Council had tried 
to be responsive to Foxman's concerns, with Council 
President Cardinal Walter Kasper arranging to reiterate 
Catholic teaching on anti-Semitism in a CNN interview. 
(Comment:  The U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference put out its 
own document seeking to counter potential anti-Semitism 
arising from the film.  End Comment.)  At the same time, 
Hofmann said it wasn't the place of the Vatican to condemn 
or praise a movie.  He said neither he nor most Vatican 
officials found the film anti-Semitic - a view echoed 
publicly by the Vatican's spokesman March 11 in response to 
a call by Rome's Chief Rabbi for Vatican comment.  Still, 
he said the Holy See did understand the fear of some Jewish 
leaders that the film could be used by ill-intended 
individuals to generate anti-Semitism. 
 
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Political/Religious Complications 
--------------------------------- 
 
8. (SBU) In describing other complications for this 
important dialogue, Hoffman pointed to the relationship 
between Judaism and the state of Israel.  He said the 
relationship has often blurred issues that, for dialogue's 
sake, should remain separate.  The Holy See's criticism of 
Israel's security wall, for example (ref b), created some 
tension in the inter-religious dialogue with Judaism as 
well as some frosty commentary from Israeli officials.  The 
Head of Hofmann's Council, German-born Cardinal Walter 
Kasper, told the Ambassador in a March 10 meeting that such 
political complications were undoubtedly part of the 
 
 
minefield of inter-religious dialogue.  Kasper warned that 
criticism of Israeli policies should not be mistaken for 
anti-Semitism.  "I may criticize American or French 
policies, but that doesn't make me anti-American or anti- 
French," he reasoned.  He agreed with Hofmann, however, 
that policy-based anger at Israeli policies could easily 
slip into morally offensive anti-Semitism.  In fact, Kasper 
suggested the recent rise in anti-Semitism in Europe could 
be traced to growing European outrage at Israeli actions in 
the Palestinian conflict. 
 
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OSCE Conference 
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9. (SBU) Cardinal Kasper will lead the Holy See delegation 
to the OSCE anti-Semitism conference in April, along with 
Hofmann and a representative of the German Catholic 
Bishops' Conference.  Hofmann said Kasper would make a 
statement reiterating Catholic teaching on anti-Semitism, 
and would likely refer to recent Papal and other Holy See 
statements on the subject, such as a February Papal 
statement at the time of a visit by the American Jewish 
Committee when the Pope stated: "there is regrettably a 
great need to repeat our utter condemnation of racism and 
anti-Semitism."  Kasper might also draw from his own 
September article on anti-Semitism published in the Vatican 
newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano.  Hofmann told us his 
office had reprinted the article in several languages and 
distributed it to Jewish leaders worldwide. 
 
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Comment 
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10.  (SBU) The Holy See's official position on anti- 
Semitism is clear and well documented, and in words and 
deeds the Pope has gone far further on the issue and has 
done more to improve the Holy See's relations with Jews 
than any of his modern predecessors.  In fact, the Holy See 
has engaged in self-criticism on the subject unimaginable 
forty years ago.  Still, Hofmann acknowledged that pressure 
remains from those who seek further statements of Christian 
culpability in the growth of anti-Semitism, or from 
recurrent debates such as the Catholic Church's role in 
World War II diplomacy.  While the Vatican is willing to 
acknowledge the Church's share of historical responsibility 
for the growth anti-Semitism, it will not compromise what 
it sees as its core beliefs to placate those who want 
more.  Moreover, the Holy See will continue to react 
strongly against what it perceives as Israeli excesses in 
the Palestinian conflict, risking damage to Jewish 
relations and opening itself up to new charges of anti- 
Semitism (ref c).  Despite these constraints, the Holy See 
has emerged as a determined opponent and of anti-Semitism 
and an active leader in inter-religious dialogue that will 
be an increasingly valuable partner for in our efforts to 
eradicate anti-Semitism. 
 
Nicholson 
 
 
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 2004VATICA01302 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED