Word: holocaust
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John Paul referred to Jews as "fellow believers" and spoke of the Holocaust as a "ruthless and inhuman" effort to exterminate specifically European Jews. "Never again!" the Pontiff declared, repeating a common Jewish phrase referring to the Nazi era. He also endorsed Catholic-Jewish programs to educate youngsters about the Nazi atrocities. Said Rabbi James Rudin, interreligious affairs director of the American Jewish Committee: "The healing is under...
...Waldheim in June. Waldheim has been accused of complicity in Nazi war crimes and consequently is unwelcome in numerous Western nations, including the U.S. The Vatican argues that declining to receive Waldheim would have been tantamount to judging him guilty.* Dismayed that John Paul made no mention of the Holocaust during Waldheim's visit, Jewish leaders talked of boycotting a ceremonial meeting in Miami this week during the Pope's U.S. visit. But with the adept, if belated, papal diplomacy, that meeting should now go smoothly...
Vatican efforts to make amends included a public letter by the Pope on the anguish of the Holocaust. The process picked up at a vigorous working session in Rome the day before the papal meeting. Nine delegates of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations and nine Catholic representatives, mostly from the Vatican's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, met for six hours. After explaining the Waldheim audience by simply restating the Holy See's position, the church team, headed by Johannes Cardinal Willebrands, took strategic steps to improve relations...
...Casaroli offered to maintain continuing contacts with Jewish leaders. Since Casaroli is the Pope's chief political adviser, his offer effectively "brought Catholic-Jewish dialogue to a new level," said Waxman. Willebrands also announced that his commission will prepare an official document (not necessarily a papal encyclical) on the Holocaust and anti- Semitism past and present. That came as a "total surprise," said a pleased Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum, director of international relations for the American Jewish Committee...
...prayed in Latin; everyone joined in a final "Alleluia." The Pope then listened to criticism of his Waldheim meeting without responding. The Pontiff expressed awareness that "the existence of Israel is central" to Jews, said a joint communique, and he "affirmed the importance of the proposed document on the Holocaust and anti-Semitism...