The Vatican's fresh effort to justify a prayer calling for the conversion of Jews has left the issue unresolved, the Rome Jewish community said Friday.
Friday's statement from the Holy See essentially dodged the key point in the prayer which, though watered down, still calls for conversion, Rome's Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni said.
''It's a very nice declaration which renews feelings of regard and friendship but changes nothing on the substance of the question,'' Di Segni said.
The statement's contention that Vatican policy is unchanged because the conversion plea is only contained in a Latin prayer used by a minority of Catholics ''has nothing to do with the issue at stake, which has been carefully avoided and in no way resolved,'' he said.
''When they say that everything has remained the same they have neglected to say that there has never been any real clarity on issues like conversion.
''But at least before they avoided talking about it; then came the prayer which broke this silence.
''Despite this statement, the substance has not changed''.
Di Segni also stressed that the Vatican had not moved despite overtures from the Jewish community aimed at getting the Holy See to downplay the theological impact of the prayer.
These diplomatic efforts were ignored, he claimed.
Instructions that communities should observe a ''pause for reflection'' regarding Jewish-Catholic relations consequently remained valid, he said.
