US embassy cable - 05VATICAN181

UNCLAS  VATICAN 000181 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE (LEVIN); DRL/CRA (DAVIS); EUR/OHI (BRAUM) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, IS, VT 
SUBJECT: JEWISH LEADERS HAIL POPE'S EFFORTS TO BUILD 
CATHOLIC-JEWISH UNDERSTANDING AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM 
 
REF: 04 Vatican 4911 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (SBU)  The largest group of Jewish leaders ever to 
travel to the Vatican lauded Pope John Paul II's efforts on 
behalf of reconciliation between Jews and Christians in a 
January 18 meeting.  The group cited the Pope's numerous 
gestures toward the Jewish community as the Holy See marks 
the 40th anniversary of a seminal Catholic document that 
ushered in an era of improved relations between the two 
faiths.  The positive publicity surrounding the meeting 
with the rabbis could not come at a better time for the 
Holy See, which has had to face another chapter in the 
controversy of wartime Pope Pius XII.  End Summary. 
 
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160 Rabbis Praise Pope 
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2.(U) The largest group of Jewish leaders ever to travel 
to the Vatican met with Pope John Paul II January 18 and 
conveyed their appreciation to him and the Catholic Church 
for all they had done to build bridges of understanding and 
mutual respect between Jews and Christians.  It was the 
first time that such a large (160) and diverse group of 
rabbis representing all branches of Judaism from Israel, 
the U.S. and Europe had come together with the Holy See.  A 
spokesman for the rabbis said much of the progress in the 
religious dialogue is the result of Pope John Paul's 
personal efforts to reach out to the Jewish community. 
 
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Pope's Gestures Recalled 
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3.(U) In their message to the Pope, the visiting rabbis 
underlined his gestures of friendship and numerous 
s 
initiatives connected to relations with Jews.  They 
depicted reconciliation as the defining characteristic of 
his relations to the Jewish people, noting his journey to 
Auschwitz after his election as Pope, his denunciation of 
anti-Semitism as a "sin against God and humanity," his 
historic visit to Rome's synagogue (he was the first Pope 
to do so since the earliest days of Christianity), and the 
establishment of full diplomatic relations with the state 
of Israel on his watch.  Israel's current ambassador to the 
Holy See joined the rabbis for their audience with the 
Pope. 
 
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Anniversary of Nostra Aetate 
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4.(SBU) The rabbis' visit coincided with the fortieth 
anniversary of the Catholic Church's basic policy document 
on relations with Judaism.  "Nostra Aetate" is widely 
acknowledged as having contributed significantly to 
enhancing Jewish-Christian dialogue.  The Pope told the 
visiting rabbis that he hoped the anniversary would "be an 
occasion for renewed commitment to increased understanding 
and cooperation in the service of building a world ever 
more firmly based on respect for the divine image in every 
human being."  Norbert Hofmann, the Secretary of the Holy 
See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews (and 
a 2005 International Visitor Program recipient) was very 
enthusiastic following the event, and told us the 
anniversary was a perfect way for the Catholic Church to 
emphasize the new directions relations had taken in recent 
decades.  "Now we need continue looking forward," he 
concluded. 
 
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Comment 
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5.(SBU) The January 18 meeting with Jewish leaders 
represented a continuation of a series of meetings between 
the Pope and Jewish groups that have given new impetus to 
the religious dialogue and offered an occasion for 
recognition of the Pope's personal efforts to reconcile 
Catholics and Jews (reftel).  In fact, the Pope's success 
in improving this sensitive religious and political 
relationship will almost certainly be regarded as one of 
the most enduring aspects of his legacy. 
 
 
6.  (SBU) The positive publicity surrounding this most 
recent meeting could not have come at a more propitious 
time for the Holy See, which has been defending itself 
against another series of allegations regarding the 
Church's actions during and after WWII.  In this case, an 
Italian newspaper alleged that the Vatican demonstrated 
insensitivity over the post-war custody and education of 
Jewish children saved from the Holocaust by being baptized 
and sheltered in Church institutions.  (Media reports and 
analysis emailed to EUR/WE and EUR/OHI).  The Holy See has 
denied the allegations, and the evidence presented against 
it is somewhat suspect.  For his part, Hofmann called the 
flap a "non-issue" and insisted that it did nothing to 
dampen the enthusiasm of the January 18 meeting.  Still, 
the controversy reinforces the importance of current 
Vatican efforts to build bridges and overcome lingering 
resentments from the past.  End comment. 
 
Hardt 
 
 
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 2005VATICA00181 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED