Vatican Radio Opponent Loses Election

LOS ANGELES TIMES, May 16 — Italian Environment Minister Willer Bordon lost his Senate race, the Los Angeles daily reported.

Bordon had threatened to shut down Vatican Radio due to charges that its transmitter posed a health hazard. His actions angered some of his fellow ministers, but the Vatican accepted Italy's tougher environmental standards and reduced its short-wave transmissions.

Many scientists say evidence of any environmental hazard is still lacking.

Syrian Anti-Semites Call Pope Pawn of Jews

DETROIT NEWS, May 6 — Pope John Paul II's visit to Syria was the occasion for anti-Semitic criticism of the Vatican from two of the most prominent Syrian Muslim historians, the Detroit daily reported.

Soheil Zakar charged that “immense pressure” from Zionist groups forced the Vatican in 1965 to absolve the Jews from the “historical responsibility” for the death of Christ. Zakar, whose book Popes from the Jewish Ghetto claims that three medieval popes were of Jewish origin, accused the Pope of ignoring “the historical side of Christianity.”

Bashir Zohdi, another historian, said that under Pope John Paul II the Church has fallen under Jewish influence.

Meanwhile, the online magazine Jewish World Review castigated the Pope for failing to respond to anti-Jewish statements made by Syrian President Bashar Assad and the mufti of Damascus.

The magazine said that Assad used the visit of the Pope, whom the magazine called “a unique voice of reason” and a tireless friend of the Jews, to “spread the worst kind of anti-Jewish libels.” Assad said that Muslims and Christians should join together against the Jews, and he accused the Jews of betraying Christ. The magazine called for an apology from the Pope.

The Vatican issued a response noting that Pope John Paul II has consistently made it clear that he does not oppose Jews or blame them for Christ's death in any way.