-Caveat Lector- Jews angered by Vatican charges of `slander campaign' By Shlomo Shamir Ha'aretz 8 August 2001 Jewish leaders and a Vatican official yesterday traded accusations, with the Vatican official - Rev. Peter Gumpel - accusing the Jewish members of a Jewish-Catholic historical commission investigating Pius XII's activities during the Holocaust of "clearly incorrect behavior." Gumpel charged that they have helped mount "a slanderous campaign" against the Catholic church. Seymour Reich, who heads the International Jewish Committee for Inter-religious Relations, which worked with the Vatican to appoint the commission, reacted angrily to Gumpel's letter. "These are very serious accusations," said Reich. "We are astonished and frustrated by the fact that Father Gumpel chose to attack the historians and particularly to single out the Jewish scholars on the team." Gumpel, in charge of providing answers to a bi-religious commission of historians investigating Vatican actions during the Holocaust, is working on plans to beatify Pius XII. The commission members, Jewish and Catholic alike, suspended their work three weeks ago because the Vatican has not released all of its World War II-era archives. Gumpel defended Pius' action in the letter, saying material made available to the historians showed that Pius made "every possible effort to save as many lives as possible, without any distinction." "We hope and assume that Father Gumpel does not express the official views of the Vatican," said Reich. The historians, who were appointed by the Vatican and Reich's group in 1999 to examine Pius' actions, released a preliminary report in October. They described a pope bent on fruitless diplomacy as reports of atrocities poured into the Vatican. The historians said at the time that questions still needed to be answered before they could issue a final report. They expressed hope that the Vatican would open up the archives of the Holy See's correspondences to fill in the gaps in the 12 volumes of wartime documents provided by the Vatican. Gumpel said, however, he had met with the group and answered some of their questions and offered to answer the rest at another session, but that this was ignored. It was therefore disconcerting, he said, that in the following months some Jewish members in the group had systematically affirmed that they never received answers to their questions. Reich accused Gumpel yesterday of "prevarication," saying that he had met with the commission "only once, gave it limited time, and refused a second meeting." Gumpel said it was false that the Vatican does not intend to open up its archives, saying this will be done "as soon as they are ready." --- J2> The Vatican pulled this one before. They refused to release the Dead Sea Scrolls for study by all schollars. They kept those locked up for half a century. --- Gumpel said several, though not all, of the Jewish members of the commission had publicly spread the suspicion that the Holy See was trying to hide documents that in their judgment could be compromising. He did not give their names. Gumpel said the panel's work had failed as a result of irresponsible actions by some of its members. A New York Jewish leader was working behind the scenes last night to get the historical commission back to work, using contacts with Archbishop Walter Casper, Gumpel's superior, to settle the affair. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
