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**NEW YORK (AP) - With Pope John Paul II more frail than ever, Roman Catholic cardinals and bishops from around the world told a conference of Jewish leaders Monday that the Vatican’s unprecedented outreach to Jews over the last several decades will continue. **
Opening their meeting with a prayer for the pope’s recovery, church leaders affirmed declarations of the Second Vatican Council that transformed Catholic thinking about Jews, including the rejection of any collective Jewish responsibility for the death of Christ.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of that document Nostra Aetate, or ``In Our Age,’’ which laid out the church’s teaching on Judaism.
John Paul is credited by many with doing more than any other pontiff to reach out to Jews. He was the first to visit a synagogue, he prayed at Judaism’s holiest site - the Western Wall - and he repeatedly condemned anti-Jewish prejudice as sinful.
Jewish leaders have become anxious about who will succeed John Paul and have been reaching our to his possible successors. Hummes and Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels were among the cardinals at the symposium who have been mentioned as potential candidates.
The meeting was organized by the World Jewish Congress, which represents Jewish communities in more than 80 countries and is perhaps best known for compelling governments, banks and corporations to pay billions of dollars to settle Holocaust-related claims.
Also among attendees were Cardinal Walter Kasper, who leads the Vatican’s office for relations with Jews, and French Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, a confidant of John Paul’s and a Jewish convert.
Church leaders at the meeting said they were encouraged that John Paul appeared Sunday at the window of his hospital room, and agreed that despite his increasing infirmity they did not expect him to resign.
Danneels said he spoke with John Paul a few weeks ago, and the pope ``has very clear, lucid judgment at the moment.’’
``He should not be obliged to step down,’’ Danneels said.
Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice said the pope’s perseverance gave the world
``Suffering is a strong part of this attitude,’’ he said.
Vatican officials have built relations with Jews worldwide through many interfaith meetings, inter-religious committees and visits to Israel. Most of the rabbis and Jewish community leaders at this week’s event are affiliated with Orthodox Judaism. Kasper said the Vatican has regular contact with Orthodox Jews in Israel but has had fewer discussions with the Orthodox in the United States, so these meetings are encouraging.
Rabbi Israel Singer, chairman of the World Jewish Congress, noted that some Orthodox had resisted interfaith dialogue out of concern that it was more of a ``public relations exercise’’ than a true commitment to resolve differences.
He credited John Paul with allaying those fears. ``The pope has opened the door to all faiths,’’ he said.
02/28/05 16:54
© Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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Opening their meeting with a prayer for the pope’s recovery, church leaders affirmed declarations of the Second Vatican Council that transformed Catholic thinking about Jews, including the rejection of any collective Jewish responsibility for the death of Christ.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of that document Nostra Aetate, or ``In Our Age,’’ which laid out the church’s teaching on Judaism.
That which happened during the passion of Christ cannot be blamed on the Jews of the time and certainly not on the Jews of today,'' said Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, addressing about 100 people at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, a Holocaust museum in Manhattan. We must be very careful in our catechism and our teaching not to teach in any way an interpretation of the Gospel that can stimulate anti-Semitism,’’ Hummes said through a translator.John Paul is credited by many with doing more than any other pontiff to reach out to Jews. He was the first to visit a synagogue, he prayed at Judaism’s holiest site - the Western Wall - and he repeatedly condemned anti-Jewish prejudice as sinful.
Jewish leaders have become anxious about who will succeed John Paul and have been reaching our to his possible successors. Hummes and Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels were among the cardinals at the symposium who have been mentioned as potential candidates.
The meeting was organized by the World Jewish Congress, which represents Jewish communities in more than 80 countries and is perhaps best known for compelling governments, banks and corporations to pay billions of dollars to settle Holocaust-related claims.
Also among attendees were Cardinal Walter Kasper, who leads the Vatican’s office for relations with Jews, and French Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, a confidant of John Paul’s and a Jewish convert.
Church leaders at the meeting said they were encouraged that John Paul appeared Sunday at the window of his hospital room, and agreed that despite his increasing infirmity they did not expect him to resign.
Danneels said he spoke with John Paul a few weeks ago, and the pope ``has very clear, lucid judgment at the moment.’’
``He should not be obliged to step down,’’ Danneels said.
Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice said the pope’s perseverance gave the world
a vision of Christian'' teaching that life is important, not only because of usefulness.’’``Suffering is a strong part of this attitude,’’ he said.
Vatican officials have built relations with Jews worldwide through many interfaith meetings, inter-religious committees and visits to Israel. Most of the rabbis and Jewish community leaders at this week’s event are affiliated with Orthodox Judaism. Kasper said the Vatican has regular contact with Orthodox Jews in Israel but has had fewer discussions with the Orthodox in the United States, so these meetings are encouraging.
Rabbi Israel Singer, chairman of the World Jewish Congress, noted that some Orthodox had resisted interfaith dialogue out of concern that it was more of a ``public relations exercise’’ than a true commitment to resolve differences.
He credited John Paul with allaying those fears. ``The pope has opened the door to all faiths,’’ he said.
02/28/05 16:54
© Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20050228%2F1654024829.htm&ewp=ewp_news_0305catholics