Zenit News Agency, Italy
May 25 2004

Cardinal Kasper in Jerusalem to Address Problems of Catholics

To Broach the Topic of Visas for Religious

JERUSALEM, MAY 24, 2004 (Zenit.org).- A Vatican official arrived here
to promote relations and resolve problems between Christians and Jews
in the Holy Land.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Commission for
Religious Relations with the Jews, plans to meet with Catholic
communities and representatives of Judaism and the Israeli government
during his visit.

The cardinal will ask about the Israeli authorities’ non-issuance of
visas to Catholic religious, Vatican Radio reported.

“There are political problems, which affect visas and Christian
properties,” he said before leaving Rome today for Jerusalem.

“Christian young people do not yet have great hope, as for many
centuries a great community of Christians has been present in the
Holy Land and, if we go to the Holy Land, we do not want to be
considered only as dead stones but as living stones,” the cardinal
said. “This must all be addressed and discussed.”

Cardinal Kasper said that he will meet with the heads of the other
Churches and Christian confessions, in particular with the
Greek-Orthodox patriarch and with the Armenian patriarch.

“In this difficult situation it is necessary that the Churches
collaborate for peace and the good of the Jewish people, as well as
the Palestinian people,” he said. “They suffer a lot and we are in
solidarity with them.”

“I will also meet, of course, with the Catholic community, which
finds itself in a difficult situation and needs encouragement and a
message of hope,” the Vatican official said.

During his stay in Jerusalem, he will meet with the Latin-rite
patriarch of Jerusalem, Catholic bishops, the Custodian of the Holy
Land, and superiors and members of religious institutes and
congregations.

The Ecumenical Institute of Advanced Theological Studies, of Tantur,
invited the cardinal to participate in a colloquium, organized by
that institution with the University of Notre Dame. Cardinal Kasper
will deliver a talk entitled “Forgiveness and Purification of the
Memory.” The cardinal’s visit ends Friday.