The Holocaust is one of the most acute examples of the "recurrent and acutely painful issue in the Catholic-Jewish dialogue", namely "Christian efforts to convert Jews".

"But the larger concern was the overall state of the Catholic-Jewish dialogue and the desire on the Catholic side that it not be permanently or seriously disrupted by a single incident."

No Full Recognition of Israel "The successful resolution of this crisis proves the ongoing strength, and not the weakness, of the Catholic-Jewish dialogue," Mr. Comay said.

Last June, an international committee sponsored by the Vatican and Jewish groups honored him as one of eight great living pioneers of the Catholic-Jewish dialogue worldwide.

In the early 1960's he promoted and participated in a Catholic-Jewish dialogue established during the papacy of John XXIII.

They first met in 1966 while serving together on a post-Vatican II Roman Catholic-Jewish dialogue committee.

LAST week, Pope Benedict XVI vowed to Rome's former chief rabbi that he would renew the Vatican's commitment to Catholic-Jewish dialogue.

Many of the unresolved issues in Catholic-Jewish dialogue seemed to take on new importance.

The latest statement reflects remarkable progress in the 55-year Catholic-Jewish dialogue.

Sister Rose Thering, of the Racine Dominican Sisters, who was a professor of Catholic-Jewish dialogue at Seton Hall, was born in Plain.