From: [P]@msn.com]
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011
11:33 PM
Subject: SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER:
POPE JOHN PAUL II'S LEGACY TO BECOME PART OF MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE'S PERMANENT
EXHIBIT
An ominous acceptance ?
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/pressreleases/simon_wiesenthal_center_pope_john_paul_iis_legacy_to_become_part_of_museum_/
Los Angeles—The Simon Wiesenthal Center announced today that it would honor the beatification of the late Pope
John Paul II by including highlights of his historic friendship and
solidarity with the Jewish people as a part of the permanent exhibit of the
Center's renowned Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.
This
March, the Center honored John Paul II with its Medal of Valor at a ceremony in
New York. At the behest of Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Pietro
Sambi, the Papal Nuncio to the United States received
the medal on behalf of the Vatican.
"Pope John Paul II
will always have a special place of honor in the hearts of Jews everywhere. In
our two private audiences with the Pope, we experienced firsthand the
uniqueness of this great man; from the very beginning of his pontificate, the
warmth of his interaction—particularly how he engaged in conversation with each
of the Holocaust survivors who were members of our delegation,"
recalled Rabbi Marvin Hier, Founder and Dean of the
Simon Wiesenthal Center, who along with Larry A. Mizel,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, presented the Medal of Valor posthumously to
the late Pontiff.
"We could see as
early as 1983, that this Pope would go on to make
history. John Paul II will be remembered for charting
a new course in the often-troubled relationship between the Church and the Jewish people. He was the first Pope
in the 2000-year history of the Church to pray in a synagogue, the first visit
a concentration camp, and the first to recognize the State of Israel,"
Rabbi Hier added. "We want these achievements to be part of the
permanent installation of the Museum of
Tolerance so that they may be a living testimony to his remarkable life
and a source of inspiration for future generations," Rabbi
Hier concluded.
HI-RES PHOTOS FROM THE
PAPAL AUDIENCES ARE AVAILABLE AT www.wiesenthal.com.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights
organizations with over 400.000 members. It is
an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO,
the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin American Parliament.
For more information,
please contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-553-9036, join the
Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter,
or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent
direct to your Twitter page or mobile device.