Associated Press Worldstream
October 19, 2004 Tuesday 9:37 AM Eastern Time
Vatican-Jewish commission condemns vandalism and disrespect for
religious people in Jerusalem
VATICAN CITY
A joint Jewish-Vatican commission on Tuesday condemned acts of
vandalism and disrespect for religious people in Jerusalem, citing
the recent assault on an Armenian archbishop by a Jewish seminary
student.
“Jerusalem has a sacred character for all the children of Abraham,”
said the statement issued during a meeting of the Holy See’s
Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and the Chief
Rabbinate of Israel.
“We call on all relevant authorities to respect this character and to
prevent actions which offend the sensibilities of religious
communities that reside in Jerusalem and hold her dear,” the
statement said.
A leader of the Armenian church in Jerusalem said Monday the church
would not press charges against an Israeli who spat at clergy during
a Christian procession last week.
In the Oct. 17 incident, a Jewish seminary student spat at Armenian
Archbishop Nourhan Manougian as he carried a cross in a procession
through the Old City. A fist-fight broke out, and the archbishop’s
medallion of office was damaged. The student was arrested but
released shortly afterward.
Tensions are often high in the walled Old City, divided among
Christians, Jews and Muslims. The Old City contains important holy
sites of all three religions, and some are contested among competing
religions and denominations.
The Vatican-Jewish commission, which has been meeting this week in
Grottaferrata, near Rome, urged religious authorities to protest
publicly when disrespectful acts are committed.
“We call on them to educate their communities to behave with respect
and dignity toward people and toward their attachment to their
faith,” the commission said.