Lay Catholic-Jewish Conference Scheduled at Vatican To Intensify Community Relations

WASHINGTON (April 13, 2007)—A meeting of lay Catholics and Jews aimed at intensifying relations between Catholics and Jews and developing increased local activities on humanitarian and other problems will convene at the Vatican October 21-25. Representatives from 20 or more U.S. cities are expected to participate.

The meeting is being organized by the Interreligious Information Center in cooperation with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the National Council of Synagogues and the Religious Action Center of the Union for Reform Judaism. Cardinal William Keeler, Archbishop of Baltimore and Episcopal Moderator of Catholic-Jewish Relations, USCCB, is working with Cardinal Walter Kaspar, President, Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, and Father Norbert Hoffman of the Pontifical Commission, to facilitate the meeting.

It is hoped that this meeting will be expanded in 2008 to include Moslem representatives and held in the United States.