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Sokolow And A Pope:
Vatican And Zionism
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor Emeritus
F
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VOTE AUGUST 4th!
42
FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1992
requent predictions
that the Vatican is an-
ticipating an early dip-
lomatic accord with Israel
have been among the en-
couraging aspects of increas-
ing inter-religious develop-
ments. Such hopeful deci-
sions appear to have been in
evidence in the reduced
criticisms of the Jewish state
by some of the prominent
leaders in Catholicism.
In occasional ecumenist
activities, especially in the
one that arose over the
memories of Coughlinsim,
there were comments about
the need to strengthen
Catholic-Jewish cooperation.
The fact is that the new
strength acquired in recent
years by ecumenism had its
beginnings in the un-
challenged good will move-
ment that was created more
than 50 years ago as the Na-
tional Conference of Chris-
tians and Jews under the in-
itial guidance of Dr. Everett
Clinchy.
Furthermore, with the ex-
ception of some regrettable
incidents, the record is filled
with strong Catholic con-
demnations of anti-
Semitism. Some of the vilest
anti-Jewish libels, such as
the Blood Libels, were con-
demned mercilessly by
Catholic spokesmen. An ex-
ample was the damning of
the Ritual Murder Libel by
Cardinal Lorenzo
Ganganelli just before he
became Pope Clement XIV.
He presented an encyclical
in which the libel against
the Jews was branded in-
famous and false. That was
some 200 years ago. The im-
portance of it was emphasiz-
ed in my article "The Ritual
Murder Libel" which ap-
peared in the Catholic
magazine Commonweal,
March 5, 1985.
Special attention can now
be accorded another pope.
Pope Benedict XV discussed
Zionism with world Zionist
leader Nahum Sokolow in
May 1917. It was a one-hour
conversation between the
Catholic and Jewish leaders
and it was not made public
until Dr. Sokolow's son, Sr.
Florian Sokolow, unearthed
the text from his father's ar-
chives. A major portion of
the interview was published
in the London Jewish
Chronicle of Nov. 25, 1949.
Selections of that interview
are as follows:
The Pope: Is this your
first visit to Rome?
Sokolow: No, I have been
here before; but I presume,
I am the first Jew who has
the honor to be received by
Your Holiness.
P.: That is true. I unders-
tand you have come here
not to see the ceremonies
but as a representative of
the Zionist Movement con-
cerned with the rebuilding
of the Land of Israel by the
Jews themselves. Have I
correctly understood the
aims of Zionism? What a
reversal of history! Nine-
teen centuries ago Rome
destroyed Jerusalem, and
now, desiring to rebuild it,
you chose the way to Rome
• •
S.: That Rome which
destroyed Judea has been
sufficiently punished. It
perished soon afterwards,
while the Jewish people
not only continues to live
but shows enough vitality
to claim back the posses-
sion of its land .. .
P.: (interrupting) Yes, yes.
This is providential. It is
God's will.
S.: Our programme is
first to create in Palestine
a spiritual and cultural
centre for Jewry, second to
establish a National Home
for the oppressed Jews.
Our desire is to build up
there a great centre where
the Jews would be able
freely to develop their
culture, to educate their
children in the spirit of
their ideals, and to devote
all their energies to mak-
ing their National Home a
model of Jewish civilisa-
tion and morality.
P.: It is a wonderful idea.
S.: What we are concern-
ed with is the revival of
that Jewry which embo-
dies the national genuis,
the tradition of the Bible in
the purest sense. We claim
the right of freedom which
cannot be denied to any
people.
P.: Is there enough space
in Palestine Ao carry out
your plans?
S.: There is the possibili-
ty of reaching our goal: but
first we must prepare the
ground.
P.: What have you achiev-
ed up to now? How many
colonists have you settled
there?
S.: There are 12,000
colonists.
P.: Is the number of Jews
in Palestine so small?
S.: I mean only colonists,
not the Jews in general,
who number about 120,000.
P.: Have you taken any
steps in this direction in
England and in Russia?
S.: We have done so in
England, and I am glad to
say that the British
Government approves of
our proposals.
P.: That is good. Great
Britain is the greatest and
most experienced colonis-
ing Power in the world.
And what can I do for you?
S.: We count on the sym-
pathy and moral support
of Your Holiness. I know
that some concern has
been expressed about the
fate of the Holy Places.
They ought, of course, to be
Some of the vilest
anti-Jewish libels,
such as the Blood
Libels, were
condemned
mercilessly by
Catholic
spokesmen.
safeguarded by interna-
tional guarantees. We have
the greatest respect for the
Holy Places of all religions
and we hope that our Holy
Places will be respected in
the same way.
P.: Which are your Holy
Places?
S.: The whole of Palestine
is sacred to us; but there
are certain places especial-
ly linked with the great pe-
riods of our history, such
as the graves of the Patri-
archs at Hebron, the Wail-
ing Wall, and the tombs of
Kings in Jerusalem. I trust
that these places will be
respected, just as are the
Holy Places of other
creeds.
P.: Certainly. The pro-
blem of the Holy Places is
of extraordinary impor-
tance to us. It is our duty to
protect the sacred rights
and treaties concluded by
the Holy See with the
Great Powers. I have no
doubt that a satisfactory
agreement will be reached.
S.: Our people will never
allow themselves to hurt
the religious feelings of
their neighbors; and we
shall observe the existing
treaties with the greatest
care.
C,