THE TANDEM PROJECT

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UNITED NATIONS, HUMAN RIGHTS,
 FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF

Separation of Religion or Belief and State

POPE TRIES TO SOOTHE TENSIONS WITH JEWS

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Issue:  Tolerance for Diversity of Religion or Belief

For: United Nations, Governments, Religions or Beliefs, Academia, NGOs, Media, Civil Society

Review: At Rome Synagogue, Pope Tries to Soothe Tensions with Jews, by Rachel Donadio, New York Times: Monday January 18, 2010.

Excerpts: “ROME-Pope Benedict XVI,  in a visit to Rome’s main synagogue, sought to soothe tensions between Catholics and Jews on Sunday, though he and Jewish leaders aired one main point of contention: whether the church did enough against the Holocaust.”

“Before entering the synagogue, the pope, 82, who was an unwilling member of the Hitler Youth in his teens, stopped to place roses by a plaque honoring the more than 1,000 Roman Jews deported to Auschwitz in 1943.”

“In well received remarks interrupted several times by applause, Benedict said, ‘The church has not failed to deplore the failings of her sons and daughters, begging forgiveness for all that could in any way have contributed to the scourge of anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism. He added, as the audience clapped, “May these wounds be healed forever!”

 “Although most said Sunday’s event helped clear the air, controversies remained. In a news conference afterward, Silvan Shalom, a deputy prime minister of Israel, said that in a private meeting he had asked the pope to facilitate opening the archives from Pius XII’s papacy.”

1981 UN Declaration:

For the purposes of the present Declaration, the expression ‘intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief’ means any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on religion or belief and having as its purpose or as its effect nullification or impairment of the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis.

The Italy Universal Periodic Review will be held before the seventh session of the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday 9 February 2010. The Tandem Project preparation for the Italy Universal Periodic Review is attached.

Attachments: Pope Visits Rome Synagogue; Italy – Universal Periodic Review & Freedom of Religion or Belief.