Christians must atone to the Jews

By ALAN JACKSON
SWEEPING proposals that Roman Catholics and Protestants make "a more adequate expression" of penitence for sufferings inflicted upon Jews, and calling for "utmost vigilance" in combating racial and religious bigotry, marked the end of the international conference on Christian-Jewish cooperation at Cambridge last Saturday.
On the subject of bigotry and anti-semitism, the conference adopted an experts' report.
It said, "The present world situation with reference to minority groups fills us with concern. We note in some parts of the world a resurgence of bigotry, anti-semitism and discrimination.
"In some countries the situation is acute."
The proposals were set out in a long "conference message" drafted by top officials and unanimously adopted after lively last-minute discussion by over 70 leading Jewish, Roman Catholic and Protestant scholars and experts from 10 countries.
These had met for eight days in Newnham College, Cambridge, under the auspices of the British-based International Consultative Committee of Organisations for Christian-Jewish Co-operation. They reviewed the development of Christian-Jewish relations since the first-ever inter national conference of Christians and Jews was held at Oxford 20 years ago.
The delegates were also charged with assessing the future tasks in developing Christian-Jewish understanding in the light of increased antisemitism in the world and against the background of Declarations by the World Council of Churches in New Delhi in 1961 and the Vatican Council in October last on relations between the Churches and the Jewish people.
In the message adopted at the final plenary session, the conference declared: "The Declarations by the Vatican Council and the World Council of Churches were warmly welcomed, particularly for their evident desire to improve Jewish-Christian relationships. The Conference also considers that they contain much that can be helpful in furthering the goal of mutual understanding and respect."
The Conference went on, however, to c all on the Churches to express officially that they repent of having paved the way for the antisemitism that is now practised in many countries.
At the same time, the delegates insisted that they "frequently shared differing points of view with complete confidence and in a spirit of charity, which they believe derived from their united desire to know and to do the will of God".
(Special Article, Page 51