Rabbi lauds papal visit as `moment of holiness'

Pope John Paul II's visit to a synagogue in Rome last Sunday was"a moment of holiness," a U.S. Jewish leader said this week.

"When we were born, we couldn't consider this happening," saidRabbi Ronald B. Sobel, chairman of the national intergroup relationscommittee of the B'nai B'rith's Anti-Defamation League, during adiscussion of the pope's historic visit. "If there ever was such amoment of holiness, (Sunday's visit) was it." A first for a pope

John Paul's visit was the first by a Roman Catholic pope to asynagogue. He told worshippers that Jews were Christians' "elderbrothers" and condemned "anti-Semitism directed against Jews at anytime and by anyone. I repeat, anyone."

Sobel and Eugene Fisher, executive secretary of theCatholic-Jewish relations committee of the National Conference ofCatholic Bishops, assessed the importance of the visit during atwo-hour program broadcast to 180 Catholic dioceses across the UnitedStates. A small group watched the program in a meeting room at HolyName Cathedral. `Longest historical trip'

Fisher said the pope is noted for his world travel. While histrip to the synagogue may have been "the shortest geographically, itwas the longest historically," he said.

Sobel and Fisher recounted the 2,000 years of sanctions againstJews by Christians. The turning point, they agreed, was the SecondVatican Council's 1965 document Nostra Aetate (In Our Times).

That statement, among other things, rejects the idea of Jewshaving collective guilt for the death of Christ. It also affirms aunique bond between Jews and Christians and says the Jewish role asGod's chosen people did not end with the birth of Christ.

Perhaps of more significance, according to Fisher, was for "theJewish community of Rome to accept the pope in their midst." `Spread the word'

Sobel questioned whether the majority of Roman Catholics knowanything about Nostra Aetate. The best thing the church could do tobuild Jewish-Catholic relations is to make sure the document istaught worldwide, he said.

Roman Catholic textbooks and liturgies have been purged ofinflammatory remarks about Jews, Fisher said, "But we have 2,000years to overcome."

"The glass is now half full," Fisher said.