Pope says Vatican II's condemnation of anti-Semitism needed today

Published: 2004-02-05

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II, meeting with the American Jewish Committee, said the Second Vatican Council's condemnation of anti-Semitism was still urgently needed in today's world. At the same time, the pope deplored what he called an "alarming trend" toward violence in the name of religion and said greater efforts at religious education were the key to promoting tolerance. The pope spoke to members of the Jewish organization Feb. 5 in a private audience, and he received a litany of thanks for his leadership over the last 25 years in forging bonds of Catholic-Jewish friendship. "You, Your Holiness, have truly been a blessing to the Jewish community -- and for this we are truly grateful," Harold Tanner, the committee's president, said in a speech. In his brief talk to the group, the pope recalled the importance of the landmark Vatican II document, "Nostra Aetate," which denounced anti-Semitism and all discrimination based on race or religion.

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