Community Conciliator

Detroit's Adam
Cardinal Maida
has made
improved
Jewish-Catholic
relations a priority.

PHIL JACOBS EDITOR

dam J. Cardinal Maida first ven-
tured into the Detroit Jewish com-
munity in the autumn of 1990 after
coming to the area from Green Bay,
Wis., as the new archbishop of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of De-
troit.
On that night, a packed Shaarey
Zedek auditorium heard its senior
rabbi, Irwin Groner, introduce the
new religious leader in town, espe-
cially to the Jewish side of town.
In his three years here, the arch-
bishop, recently named a cardinal
by Pope John Paul II, has not
stayed away from the Jewish community, vis-
iting frequently with its religious and lay lead-
ers on many different levels.
So it's no wonder that the Anti-Defamation
League selected the cardinal as its Cardinal
Bea Interfaith Awardee at its 6:30 p.m. June
6 reception, to be held at Shaarey Zedek.
Cardinal Bea 30 years ago was the spirit
behind the Second Vatican Council's decla-
ration of Nostra Aetate, which repudiated anti-
Semitism and retracted the charge of deicide
against Jews.
Cardinal Maida, an active member of the
ADL's Holocaust Education Coalition, has
publicly said, "The wells that have separated
people for so many years need to be replaced
with a mutual respect and concern for each
other. We need to work together for the build-
ing of bridges between all people, who are in-
div,idually and collectively part of the great
mosaic of the human race."
On a rainy spring day in May, the cardinal
is far from the Jewish neighborhood. He's in
a hood all right, but its location is along the
Woodward corridor near Six Mile. Near the
Archdiocese's stately mansion home for the
cardinal, one is likely to see drug dealers with
beepers — and keep the car doors locked and
pray for green lights.
It's exactly where Cardinal Maida wants to
be, close to the poverty and people who most
need him.
"I see poverty all around us," said the car-
dinal. "There are just so many needs that need
to be addressed in the city. What do I address
first? I choose to stay here, because I want to
better identify with the people, all of the peo-
ple."
That identification is what helps this car-
dinal feel so at home in any neighborhood, be
it one of churches or one of synagogues. It's
been said of Cardinal Maida that he suffers
the pain of any compassionate leader when
other people suffer, be it from poverty, cruel-
ty or oppression.
He calls anti-Semitism "a violent crime."
The angels from the art in the living room
where he is interviewed seem to come to di-
vine attention with that comment. He also
said the organized Catholic Church has done
a great deal of good and wants to do more to
make up for any negative role it might have

Adam Joseph
played toward Jews in the past.
exacting way, "were dedi-
Cardinal Maida: A
"The Holy Father (Pope John Paul II) has cated to a strong desire to
worker for
made good relations with the Jewish com- succeed. They suffered and
community
munity a top priority," said the cardinal.
they endured to have their
harmony.
Cardinal Maida's friendship with Jews freedom. When the Holy
stretches back to his law school days at Father recognized Israel as
Duquesne University. It was in 1959 that he a state, it was long overdue."
took his only trip to Israel. He remembers "the
Cardinal Maida made it clear that he wants
development of Israel."
to return to Israel. He says he feels a need "to
"The people I remember," he said in a slow, CONCILIATOR page 28

