Vatican official criticizes Jews

National Catholic Reporter, Dec 11, 1998 by John L. Allen, Jr.

Der Standard reported on Nov. 25 that Paul Chaim Eisenberg, chief rabbi of the Jewish community in Vienna, called Gumpel's remarks "extraordinarily hurtful, as they travel all the old roads of pure anti-Semitism."

The Austrian paper also reported that Gerhard Bodendorfer, the head of the coordinating body for Christian-Jewish cooperation in Austria, an ecumenical body founded by the former cardinal of Vienna Franz Konig, has protested to that nation's apostolic nuncio and to the Jesuit superior. In his letter Bodendoffer said, "I am amazed that an official collaborator in a highly responsible Vatican position could hold these old, obviously undistilled prejudices that are still hawked today.

"Conspiracy theories about world Judaism combined with anti-communist polemics come out of the lowest drawer of anti-Semitism," Bodendoffer wrote. "Gumpel's behavior shows that he obviously did not find in the body of actual church doctrine that such anti-Semitism is clearly and completely condemned."

Gumpel said he was angry that neither Eisenberg nor Bodendoffer "had the courtesy of contacting me." He said he intended to respond to each man in writing.

Making a response

"There are still people who, if they see something in print, they believe it," Gumpel told NCR. He said he had also contacted the Austrian nuncio and the "appropriate Jesuit authorities," informing them he would be making a response.

Gumpel, 75, was a judge in the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for 11 years. In 1983, he became a "relator," a curial official responsible for handlining the cases of prospective saints. After his official retirement at age 70, he continued to hold responsibility for several cases, including that of Pius XII.

Gumpel's comments are all the more remarkable since he is said to be of Jewish descent himself. His Jewish ancestry was cited by the bishop of the German diocese of Speyer in an early October statement to the German media. Bishop Anton Schlembach quoted Gumpel in support of Edith Stein's canonization, saying that Gumpel himself had Jewish ancestry and "had been victimized by oppressive measures."

Gumpel refused to comment on his family background for NCR, saying he "never spoke of it." He did confirm, however, that members of his family had been persecuted and even killed by the Nazis, so he "understands the suffering of the Jewish people." During World War II, Gumpel, then 14, fled Germany for Holland, as did Stein.

Gumpel has long been a defender of Plus XII. In response to Lopez's request for a delay in canonization, The New York Times quoted Gumpel on Nov. 5 as saying, "These attacks and insults by some groups are counterproductive. I would not be surprised if it led to a rise in anti-Semitic feeling."