PURELY COMMENTARY I-- .1700°P% toby zack designs, incorporated your michigan-florida connection" toby zack i.s.i.d Sokolow And A Pope: Vatican And Zionism PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Editor Emeritus F award-winning interior designer fort lauderdale (305) 967-8629 birmingham (313) 647-5280 CUSTOM INSTALLERS OF IN-WALL SPEAKERS AND HOME THEATRE SYSTEMS. *Custom Audio/Video —Security Systems *Custom Furniture *Central VAC's —*Home Theatre *Telephone/Intercoms —*Surround Sound *Projection TV's — — — — — \ \V N ITED( 3150 HAGGERTY RD, W. BLOOMFIELD, MI 48323 (313) 669.5600 SHIRLEY SALTZMAN FOR JUDGE THE SUPERIOR CHOICE SHIRLEY SALTZMAN For 47th District Court Judge En6 YEARS PRIVATE LAW PRACTICE Iti- SPECIAL ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL ". `FORMER DISTRICT COURT MAGISTRATE litfrJUVENILE COURT REFEREE TrBOARD OF DIRECTORS - Z.O.A. T1i MEMBER OF O.R.T. Tr MEMBER OF N.C.J.W. Tr PAST PRES. B'NAI B'RITH BARRISTERS BAR ASSOC. "As a judge I will provide hard work, integrity and fairness because that's what the Public deserves." 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,