DECLATATION ON JEWS 'SHOULD REACH PARISH LEVEL'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000300350003-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 19, 1998
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: December 22, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

Sanitised - ApSro or Release. ` CIA-RDP75-000. 00300350003-4
OUDCCI. .0
25 FURNIVAL STREET, LONDON, E.C.4. 'Phone: HOLBORN 9252 Cables; Jaechron, London, Telex.
DECLARATION ON JEWS "SHOULD REACH PARISH LEVEL"
.
Rome, December 21, 1966
J NS B'nai B'rith..leaders r.William Wexler, president, and
Mir.Saul Joftes, general secretary,-were received here by the Pope on
Monday, and told him that the. Church's. declaration on relations with
the Jews., was a "fine contribution to humanity" .
They expressed the hope that the declarati.on,, adopted by the
Ecumenical Council last-yea--, would be vigorously implemented and
emphasised the need for the' declarations s message to reach parish level.
The B'nai B'rith leaders put forward a plea that the special ad h pc
commission to be .formed to give effect to the declaration, should begs
work soon.
After the audience both men said that the Pope's attitude was "ve y
co-operative", They had arrived in Rome after meeting Dr.Josef Klaus,
the Austrian Chancellor, in Vienna.
They suggested to the Chancellor that legislation should be intro a-
ced in Austria making antiserrLitism a crime against the State, and they
advocated bringing school text-books up-to-date. with explanations of
the Nazi period,.and improvements in teaching democracy,
Dr.Klaus is reported to have assured the B'nai B'rith leaders _tha
he would consider these matters and also the Austrian reparations issu
Dr.Wexler and Nh1 Joftes left Rome for 'Madrid to meet General Franco,
the Spanish Head of State, on Wednesday, to discuss the implications.f .r
the Jewish community of the new law providing for a "legal shield" to
guarantee religious liberty. -
They were also to discuss whether international organisations suc
as B'nai B'rith, would be allowed to function in Spain.