 The
SIDIC Rome Center - Service International
de Documentation Judéo-Chrétienne
(International Service of Jewish-Christian
Documentation), one of the fruits of
the Second Vatican Council, was created
in November 1965 by several bishops
and experts who had labored for the
declaration Nostra Aetate (par. 4) concerning
the Christian Churches' relations with
the Jewish people.
The Congregation
of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion,
already sensitive to the urgency of
Jewish-Christian dialogue, was asked
to assume responsibility for this initiative.
Today, the international staff is composed
of both religious and lay persons, while
the Sisters of Sion continue to assure
the continuity and development of the
Center by assuming the main responsibility
for personnel and funding.
Underlying all of SIDIC
Rome's work is the call of the Church
to understand and esteem the Jewish people
as it understands itself, and to deepen
Christian faith through the study of the
faith of the Jewish people, whom Pope
John Paul II referred to as "our
elder brothers."
To
realize this call, S IDIC
Rome has published the periodical
"Sidic" along more than
thirty years, in English and in French;
a multi-lingual
library of more than 6000 volumes,
now part of the library of the Pontifical
Gregorian University of Rome, which is
constantly increased. The SIDIC offers
a programme
of activities (lectures, seminars,
Hebrew courses, visits to the old Roman
"ghetto," etc.) which take place
from October to June, and a documentation
service which provides materials regarding
the development of the Christian-Jewish
dialogue among the various Churches and
organizations.
In addition to its own
initiatives, the SIDIC Rome Center is
involved in activities in collaboration
with other organisms, whether in Rome,
Italy or elsewhere, promoting interreligious
dialogue.
At the local level SIDIC Rome collaborates
with the Jewish-Christian friendship group
(Amicizia ebraico-cristiana), with the
Diocesan Commission for Ecumenism and
Interreligious Affairs, with the Italian
Association for Christian Ecumenism, the
Jewish Cultural Center and the Centro
Pro Unione.
On the national level
with the Monastery
of Camaldoli and the Federation of
Jewish-Christian groups in Italy, which
together are responsible for the yearly
Jewish-Christian colloquium at Camaldoli.
On the international
level with the International
Council of Christians and Jews, the
Holy See Commission for Religious Relations
with the Jews, the Cardinal
Bea Centre for Judaic Studies at the
Pontifical Gregorian University, the Interreligious
Coordinating Council in Israel and
many others. |
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