US embassy cable - 04VATICAN4911

UNCLAS  VATICAN 004911 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE (Levin); EUR/OHI, EUR/RPM, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, SOCI, VT 
SUBJECT: Pope in Meeting with Anti-Defamation League Calls 
for Eradicating Anti-Semitism 
 
 
1.(U) Summary:  Meeting with representatives of the 
Anti-Defamation League in Vatican City December 17, Pope 
John Paul II called for the eradication of all forms of 
racism, including anti-Semitism.  The Pontiff emphasized 
that the Catholic Church and the Jewish people enjoy close 
bonds of friendship.  ADL national Director Abraham Foxman 
replied to the Pope's greeting with high praise for John 
Paul II's efforts as a priest and as Pope to fight anti- 
Semitism.  He said the Catholic Church, at John Paul II's 
behest, had reckoned with its past and had entered into a 
partnership of mutual acceptance and cooperation with thcracy." 
ADL National Director Abraham Foxman praised 
the Pope's "true moral leadership" as a light to the world, 
and expressed his appreciation for the Roman Catholic 
Church's collaboration with ADL.  The ADL president said 
that Karol Wojtyla had defended Jews as a priest in Poland, 
had denounced anti-Semitism as a 'sin against God and 
humanity,' and had paid homage to victims of the Holocaust 
at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.  He added that the Pope's 
historic visit to Ropme's synagogue had "breached centuries 
of pain and mistrust."  In a poignant personal note, Foxman 
recalled that, during the Holocaust, his Catholic nanny 
with the help of a Catholic priest had literally saved his 
life.  Foxman concluded that Catholics and Jews were "truly 
together in history for the first time." 
 
3. (SBU) Following the meeting with the Pope, Fr. Norbert 
Hofmann, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Religious 
Relations with the Jews and a 2005 IVP Recipient, told 
Embassy that his Council was very pleased with the ADL's 
December 15-16 Rome conference and the side meetings 
between ADL representatives and Council President Walter 
Kaspar.  "I've never heard Foxman so positive about 
Catholic-Jewish relations," Hoffmann observed. 
 
4.  (SBU) At a reception at the Israeli Ambassador's 
following the event, Foxman affirmed the ADL's satisfaction 
with the current state of Catholic-Jewish relations.  He 
told DCM that Pope John Paul II has largely succeeded in 
putting the vision for improved relations outlined in the 
Second Vatican Council's "Nostra Aetate" -- the framework 
for the Church's relations with non-Christian religions -- 
into practice.  At the same time, Foxman expressed concern 
that anti-Semitism emanating from the Middle East was on 
the rise worldwide, and would need continued and deepening 
Vatican engagement to overcome its newest manifestations. 
 
5.  (SBU) A senior ADL representative told DCM the League 
saw the primary challenge for the Holy See now in the realm 
of education -- specifically, to expand understanding of 
Nostra Aetate beyond the Roman Curia.  In particular, ADL 
was encouraging Holy See outreach in Latin America, where 
they have found anti-Semitic opinions are more prevalent 
than in Europe and North America.  ADL's representative 
pointed out that Nostra Aetate was not initially translated 
into Spanish, and that pre-Vatican II teachings of the 
responsibility of the Jewish people for Christ's 
crucifixion were not widely circulated in Latin America or 
replaced by Nostra Aetate's vision of a common spiritual 
heritage and its formal rejection of all forms of anti- 
Semitism. 
 
6.  (SBU) The only mild concern raised by ADL of the 
Vatican related to the level of their participation in the 
Rome conference, which attracted Italian FM Fini, EU 
Commissioner Frattini, Senate President Pera, House Speaker 
Cassini, and Interior Minister Pisanu.  By contrast, the 
Holy See sent the third ranking official in the 
Congregation responsible for relations with non-Christian 
religious.  Foxman said he understood this related to the 
co-sponsorship of the conference by the "Il Foglio" 
newspaper, which is often critical of the Vatican.  Father 
Hofmann, however, denied that Il Foglio's co-sponsorship of 
the conference led Cardinal Kasper to forego the ADL event 
personally.  "I've heard those rumors too," Hofmann said, 
"but it's not true."  Instead, Hofmann contended that the 
 
 
ADL had only invited Kasper to participate three weeks ago 
and Kaspar had made previous commitments that he could not 
forego.  "You might be able to get away with that for an 
Italian Cardinal, but you've got to give a German Cardinal 
more notice than that," fellow-German Hofmann chuckled.  He 
insisted that everything was "kosher" with the ADL, Il 
Foglio, and the Vatican. 
 
7. (SBU) Comment:  Pope John Paul II's determination to 
improve Jewish-Catholic relations, reflected in his 
historic visits to Rome's synagogue and to Israel in 2000, 
have clearly borne fruit.  What was once a difficult 
dialogue between Jewish groups and the Holy See is now 
regular, cordial and open, with satisfaction on all sides 
for the new level of understanding.  The challenge ahead 
for both sides will be to extend this understanding beyond 
the center to ever more Bishops' Councils and local 
churches.  In this way, the Holy See can contribute 
worldwide to ongoing efforts to overcome historic 
prejudices and promote better inter-religious dialogue and 
understanding.  As Foxman concluded in his message to the 
Pope:  "We need more leaders like you to step forward, 
raise their voices in condemnation, and to emulate your 
exercise of true moral leadership." 
 
Nicholson 
 
 
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 2004VATICA04911 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED