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24 Friday, March 2, 1919
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
ge wirwrommei til,
Revision of Italy's Religious Concordat Faces Problems
If the present government,
crisis degenerates into a call
for premature general elec-
ROME (JTA) — The 50th
tions, the evening-out of dif-
anniversary of the signing
ferences will take even
of the Italian Church-State
longer than now expected.
Concordat (incorporated
Several of the controversies
into the Constitution in
directly or indirectly in-
Highest dollars paid
1947) was greeted last week
volve the interests of Italian
for your diamonds,
with as much contention as
Jewry.
One is the recogni-
gold or antique
celebration.
tion of Roman Catholicism
jewelry!!!
The fourth draft of the
as the official state religion
Licensed by
Concordat's revision, re-
St.tte of Michi.tn
in Italy as decreed by the
leased
late
last
week,
drawn
CALL FOR
1929 Concordat.
up
by
a
special
committee
of
APPOINTMENT
The Italian Senate
experts
designated
by
the
851-7333
suggested the elimina-
Italian Parliament, shows
tion of this concept. But
evidence of Catholic forces
while the third draft of
retreating back into self-
protective positions that - the revision stated, "The
principle of Catholicism
have already mobilized sec-
being the state religion of
ular political groups.
Italy is no longer to be
considered binding," the
fourth draft softened the
statement into, "The
recognition of-the princi-
ple ... is no longer to be
considered binding."
Lost Weight?
Requests in the "note" to
Gained Weight?
the special committee for
the Concordat by the Union
If it cloesri't
of Italian Jewish Com-
fit, We'll take care of it.
munities, are aimed mostly
at attaining a new demo-
HARRY THOMAS
cratic equality of all reli-
FINE MEN'S CLOTHING FOR 43 YEARS
gions before Italian law.
24750 Telegraph at 10 Mlle
The special status of Roman
Next to Dunkin' Donuts
Catholicism in Italy has
Daily to 6 Thurs. to 8 Sun. 11-4
created many situations of
uneven treatment.
For example: At present,
crimes against Catholicism
and its institutions are
Sheldon Kay Productions Presents
punishable by law while
similar crimes against
Judaism and its institutions
are not. Another bone of
contention is the teaching of
Friday, March 16 8:00 p.m.
religion in the school sys-
tem. The 1929 Concordat
BAY POINT COUNTRY CLUB
considered the inculcation
4001 Haggerty Rd., West Bloomfield
of Catholic doctrine to be
"the crowning aim" of pub-
Admission Price INCLUDES BUDDY'S PIZZA
lic educaticin.
CASH BAR 21 & UP
Contesting this notion,
the Italian Senate re-
Take Northwestern to Orchard lake Rd. Make a
quested the Concordat
rigid — go to Maple Rd. (15 Mile) and make a
committee to change the
L. PV.Pd'ZIGd. :
lett. Go past Jewish Cuter to Haggerty Rd. --
status of religion in the pub-
rP.'1"1
make a right. Go will on Haggerty past
3GG
lic school curriculum from
4
Podiac Trail to the ad where oar
HAES
a)
"compulsory" to "volun-
driveway begin
tary." But again, the fourth
FOR FURTHER INFOR CALL 355-1500
draft of the revision falls
EASH 111
FOR
dEWELS
By LISA
PALMIERI BILLIG
MI
. ,
•
Voitatoit• •
,
ALTERATION
HEADQUARTERS
SPRING FEVER DISCO
•
NAP, (/3,1tE
THE, CULTURAL COMMISSION OF CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM
Presents the first American sour of
The Number One "Religious Rock" Band In Israel
"THE DIASPORA YESHIVA BAND"
8 P.M. Sun., Mar. 11th at Congregation Beth Shalom
14601 W. Lincoln Rd., Oak Park
$3.00
charge for students through High School & Senior Citizens.
$ 5.00
charge for all others (general admission).
Tickets may be obtained at the synagogue — phone
547..7970
back to the position of reli-
gion as a "required" subject,
offering the possibility,
however, of students being
excused on request, as in the
past.
A third matter bearing
directly on the future of,.
Jewish institutions in
Italy is the effect of a law
passed in 1975 aimed at
the transferral of all reli-
gious public welfare in-
stitutions to the local
regional governments in
Italy.
This law was amended in
1977 to exclude institutions
sponsoring "activity inher-
ent to the religious-
educationaLsphere." The 27
Jewish institutions spread
throughout Italy (schools,
nurseries, hospitals, social
work agencies, orphanages,
Old age homes and social
centers) caring for the needs
of Italy's 40,000 Jews, and
35 percent of the much more
numerous Catholic institu-
tions received exemption
from a hand-over to the
state, on this basis.
But in the present politi-
cal climate, sections of the
Socialist and Communist
parties have objected to
these exemptions. The
regional administration of
Piedmont has filed a law-
suit against Jewish welfare
institutions in the cities of
the region (Turin, Vercelli,
Casale and Aless. andria),
and the Jewish nursery
school of Rome, challenging
the qualifications that
entitle them to remain
under Jewish management.
To illustrate the "Re-
ligious-educationsl func-
tion of its institutions,
the Union of Italian Jewish
Communities originally
pointed out the special
Jewish requirements for
kosher food, Sabbath and
Jewish holiday observance,
the teaching and obser-
vance of Jewish history, law
and tradition.
Reminded of this,
Socialist Party leaders
replied by assuring Ita-
lian Jewry that the case
will not be officially pur-
sued by the party. But to
date the lawsuit has not
been withdrawn. If it is
not activated within two
years, however, it auto-
matically expires.
Other demands of Italian
Jewry's "note" to the Con-
cordat committee, which
will be up for discussion, in-
chide the possibility (now
lacking) for rabbis to offer
religious assistance in hos-
pitals, prisons and in the
army. Presently only
Catholic priests may of-
ficiate in these public
places. _
Italian Jews have also re-
quested the transferral of
the Jewish catacombs in
Italy from Catholic jurisdic-
tion to the Italian govern-
ment as a first step for sub-
sequent management by an
international Jewish body
such as the Heritage Corn-
mittee of the World Jewish
Congress which recently
made a preliminary survey
of the situation.
Italian Jews are asking
further that marriage legis-
lation be revised to validate
Jewish wedding ceremonies
and place them on a par
with Catholic weddings. At
present, the rites of Catholic
priests are legally binding
while weddings officiated
over by rabbis are consid-
ered incomplete, requiring
additional authorization by
the Italian government.
Sadat Seeks U.S. Armaments
for Policeman's Role in M.E.
WASHINGTON (JTA) —
- President Carter reacted
favorably last week to
Egyptian President Anwar
Sadat's expressed aspira-
tion to serve as the guardian
of Western -interests in
North Africa and the Mid-
dle East. Although he said
he was not immediately
endorsing those ambitions,
he observed that Egypt "can
be a legitimate stabilizing
force."
Carter made his remarks
in response to question's
during a surprise appear-
ance before the annual Na-
tional Foreign Policy Con-
ference for editors and
broadcasters at the State
Department.
They followed Sadat's as-
sertions to Defense Secre-
tary Harold Brown in Cairo
that he needed American
military equipment in vast
quantities to fill the role of
the area's keeper of the
peace.
The President pointed
out that Egypt has five
divisions in Sinai, east of
'the Suez Canal, which, if
withdrawn as the result
of a settlement with Is-
rael, "would mean these
divisions would be avail-
able" to protect Arab
countries. He said that
"any nation that would
threaten to attack an-.
other Middle Eastern
nation would face, the
threat that these (Egyp-
tian) forces would be
used to protect the
peace."
"Egypt is very powerful in
the Arab world. They can be
a legitimate stabilizing
force," Carter said. "The
potential is there for Egypt
to help to protect other rela-
tively defenseless Arab
countries and preserve the
peace in the Middle East."
Ifowever, the President..
said he would not, at least
immediately, endorse
Sadat's request for the vast
arms program he outlined
to Brown or Sadat's vision
as a "policeman" in the area
within Egypt's sphere of
influence. "I can't comment,
of course, on any nation
being a policeman. That
would be a very serious mis-
take," Carter said.
The President said that
the U.S. receives many re-
quests for economic and
military assistance "in ex-
cess of what our nation can
provide." He noted that Is-
rael and Egypt are the two
largest recipients of Ameri-
can assistance and in that
respect Sadat's requests
would not be "unique."
Carter praised Sadat
for demonstrating in a
very dramatic way his
peaceful intentions
toward Israel. In this
connection, he noted the
Egyptian President's trip
to Jerusalem in Novem-
ber, 1977 and his partici-
pation in the Camp David
summit conference last
September as proof of his
good intentions.
Asked if the U.S. was suf-
ficiently pressing Jordan
and Saudi Arabia to support
the Camp David formulas,
Carter said "We have ap-
proached the limits of
legitimate influence and
pressure — probably — on
countries in that region in
support of Camp David."
He referred to Brown's
visits to Saudi Arabia and
Jordan to seek support for
the Camp David negotia-
tions. He observed that the
Camp David formulas "are
a very firm and well advised
foundation" for the peace
process in the Middle East.
According to the Penta-
gon officials, Egypt requires
billions of dollars of modern
weaponry, including up to
300 F-16 warplanes, hun-
dreds of tanks, short range
tactical missiles and other
artillery, and thousands of
armed personnel carriers
and other vehicles.
Meanwhile, the White
House disclosed that the
United States is sending a
military mission to Egypt to
survey "in detail" Egypt's
requirements for improve-
ments in her armaments.
Greek Orthodox
Body Hits Sharon
TEL AVIV (JTA) — A
Nazareth-based Greek Or-
thodox newspaper has
strongly' attacked Agricul-
ture Minister Ariel Sharon,
the first such attack by-that
community on an Israeli
minister.
In an article on the prob-
lem of Ikrit and Biram, the
Arab-language newspaper,
El Rabita, called Sharon an
ardent Arab hater and re-
ferred to Jewish settlers as
foreign settlers.
Sharon is head of a
ministerial committee
which has recommended
against allowing the former
residents of Ikrit and Biram
to return to the two villages
near the Lebanese border
from which they were
evicted in 1948.
El Rabita declared that
allowing Sharon to head the
committee was shameful.
Arabs Detained
TEL AVIV (JTA) — Four
Arabs from Idna village
near Hebron have been de-
tained by police as suspects
in the vandalizing of
tombstones at the Kiryat
Gat Cemetery.