The Pope's Legacy
Special Report
Jews Remember
Pope John Paul II witnessed the Shoah
and emphasized ties with the Jews.
"The world lost one of the most important
leaders of our generation, whose great con-
tribution toward reconciliation, unity among
peoples, understanding and tolerance will
remain with us for many years."
— Israel's Ariel Sharon
Pope Jo
in the We
RUTH ELLEN GRUBER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Rome
—though a staunch conservative on most
Catholic issues, Pope John Paul II made bet-
_ tering Jewish-Catholic relations a centerpiece
of his policy and took revolutionary strides toward
this goal during his more than 26-year reign.
The pope repeatedly condemned anti-Semitism,
commemorated the Holocaust on many occasions,
1 —
Spanning The Divide
So why would the IN devote significant space to the
death of the pope? Because he helped advance Jewish-
Catholic relations more than any leader of the Roman
Catholic church in history.
It's that simple.
Pope John Paul II rejected Christian anti-Semitism
and confronted Holocaust denial. He was the first
pontiff in centuries to visit a synagogue and the first
ever to recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland
At the Western Wall in 2000, he said: "We wish to
commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the
people of the Covenant."
presided over the establishment of diplomatic rela-
tions with Israel and met frequently with Jewish reli-
gious and lay leaders.
To be sure, lingering tensions and unresolved
issues remained. But in general, most Jewish
observers say the Polish-born pontiff, who died April
2 at age 84 after a lengthy illness, will be remem-
bered as the friendliest pope ever toward the Jews.
"Pope John Paul II was a man of peace, a friend of
the Jewish people, who worked to bring about his-
toric reconciliation between the peoples and to
He was a tower of dignity who relished touching the
ordinary people who sought him out not only for the
humility that he showed, but also the inspiration that
he shared
He grew up in a small Polish town near Krakow in
a strict Catholic family that rejected the prevailing
hatred ofJews. It is believed that he quietly helped
Jews escape Nazi oppression.
World Jewry would be foolish not to mandate building
on the foundation of ecumenism that Pope John Paul II
laid as he blazed the frontiers of religious harmony
May his memory continue to light the lamp from
which mutual respect and understanding shine forth.
renew diplomatic ties between Israel and the Vatican
at the end of 1993," Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon told his Cabinet on April 3. "Yesterday, the
world lost one of the most important leaders of our
generation, whose great contribution toward recon-
ciliation, unity among peoples, understanding and
tolerance will remain with us for many years."
An Anti-Defamation League statement said: "It is
safe to say that more change for the better took
place in his 26-year papacy than in the nearly 2,000
years before." World Jewish Congress President
Edgar Bronfman said John Paul II "reached across
millennial divides to promote mutual respect and
understanding. His lessons and accomplishments are
a legacy for Catholics, Jews and all humanity."
Rabbi Jack Bemporad was one of more than 100
rabbis and cantors who met with the pope in
January to thank him for his commitment. "No
pope has done as much or cared as much about cre-
ating a brotherly relationship between Catholics and
Jews as Pope John Paul II," Bemporad, director of
the Center for Interreligious Understanding in
Secaucus, N.J., said at the time.
"For me, it's simply revolutionary," added Rabbi
Bemporad. "I believe Pope John Paul II will be con-
sidered a great healer in the relationship between
Catholics and Jews."
Karol Jozef Wojtyla, then the 58-year-old arch-
—Robert A. Sklar, editor
JEWS REMEMBER
4/ 7
2005
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on page 24