From: 	 heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: 	 Tuesday, October 28, 1997 1:01 AM
To: 	 Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: Anti-Semitism Forum Excludes Jews

From:          AOL News <AOLNews@aol.com>
Subject:       Anti-Semitism Forum Excludes Jews

            The Associated Press

      By DANIEL J. WAKIN

      VATICAN CITY (AP) - The leader of Italy's Jewish community
expressed disappointment Thursday that a Vatican conference on
anti-Semitism's Christian roots will include no Jews.

      Sixty scholars from around the world, including several
Protestant and Orthodox figures, are being invited to the Oct.
30-Nov. 1 conference, ``The Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Christian
Environment.''

      ``We would have hoped that some Jewish scholars might have been
invited as observers,'' said Tullia Zevi, who said she made that
suggestion to the organizers. ``The answer was very polite but firm
that this was an internal church (conference).''

      ``Nevertheless we have great confidence in the work of the
commission,'' she added.

      ``Essentially Christian themes'' will be the focus of the
meeting, ``and this is the reason why their development and
elaboration has been entrusted for the most part to Catholic
theologians,'' the Vatican said.

      The meeting will underline ``the religious perspective and not
the political one,'' the Vatican added.

      The conference falls within Pope John Paul II's call for a
reexamination of the Catholic Church's conscience on the threshold
of Christianity's third millennium.

      Despite earlier speculation that the conference would lead to a
long-awaited, major Vatican document on anti-Semitism, the pope has
said only that he will take the results of the meeting under
consideration.

      John Paul often has spoken out against anti-Semitism and
improved Catholic-Jewish relations when he forged Vatican ties with
Israel two years ago.

      Ms. Zevi said she saw the committee's work as part of the
evolution in church thinking about Judaism that started with Pope
John XXIII almost 35 years ago.

      ``We feel confident that they will do an important job in
erasing old stereotypes and centuries-old prejudices and
accusations that have caused the shedding of many tears and much
blood,'' she said.

 Copyright 1997 The Associated Press.

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