?A Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People,” an exhibit now showing at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio (U.S.A.), traces this theme throughout the lifetime of the late Pope. The four main sections center on his childhood and youth in Wadowice, Poland; his theological studies during the Second World War; his career in the priesthood, as he rose to be a bishop and cardinal; and his lengthy papacy, during which he issued many documents and undertook many symbolic actions to foster reconciliation between Christians and Jews.
The exhibit, which runs through July 15, 2005, is co-sponsored by Xavier University and the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, in partnership with the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center of Washington, D.C. Remarks were offered at the opening of the exhibit on May 18 by Australian Cardinal Edward Cassidy, former president of Vatican?s the Commission for Religious Relations with Jews, and Rabbi Jack Bemporad, director for the Center for Interreligious Understanding in Secaucus, New Jersey.
For further details, see www.blessingexhibit.org. Following its initial showing, the exhibit will travel to Washington and will then be available for showing in other cities. Interested persons or organizations may contact Dr. James P. Buchanan, director of the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207 (buchananjp(at)xavier.edu).