Catholic World News Service

Daily News Briefs

JULY 25, 1997

* JEWISH LEADER WANTS MEETING WITH POPE OVER NAZI GOLD

LOS ANGELES (CWN) The president of the World Jewish Congress demanded a meeting with Pope John Paul and Vatican officials on Thursday to discuss allegations of the hoarding of Nazi gold and called on them to open up secret World War II archives, according to an interview with Reuters news service.

Edgar Bronfman, Sr., the billionaire chairman of the Seagram Co., said: I have been curious about how many Nazis went to South America with Vatican passports as has been charged. Recently released documents raise questions that must be examined. Bronfman was referring to a recently released US Treasury Department document that claimed the Vatican held gold and money for safekeeping for Croatian fascists after the war. The Vatican denied the report. We owe it to history and memory to pursue the opening of the Vatican files, he added.

[other news items deleted for brevity ... JP]

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