Letter #3, 2016: Conversion of the Jews

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Letter #3, 2016: Conversion of the Jews

[2016-01-15]

[Engleză]

January 14, 2016, Thursday -- Pope Francis Will Visit the Jewish Synagogue of Rome in Three Days, On Sunday, January 17. What Will He Say?

(This newsflash is posted here)

"The first Christians were Jews; as a matter of course they gathered as part of the community in the Synagogue, they observed the dietary laws, the Sabbath and the requirement of circumcision, while at the same time confessing Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah sent by God for the salvation of Israel and the entire human race." —Cardinal Kurt Koch, Bishop Brian Farrell and Father Norbert Hofmann, authors of a December 10 document issued by the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews (a commission within the Vatican dicastery that Koch heads, the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity) , entitled "The Gifts and the Calling of God are Irrevocable" (Romans 11:29), Paragraph 15

"Like the Church itself even in our own day, Israel bears the treasure of its election in fragile vessels. The relationship of Israel with its Lord is the story of its faithfulness and its unfaithfulness."—Ibid., Paragraph 22

"The common patrimony of the Old Testament not only formed the fundamental basis of a spiritual kinship between Jews and Christians but also brought with it a basic tension in the relationship of the two faith communities. This is demonstrated by the fact that Christians read the Old Testament in the light of the New, in the conviction expressed by Augustine in the indelible formula: 'In the Old Testament the New is concealed and in the New the Old is revealed' (Quaestiones in Heptateuchum 2, 73)."—Ibid., Paragraph 29

"The theory that there may be two different paths to salvation, the Jewish path without Christ and the path with the Christ, whom Christians believe is Jesus of Nazareth, would in fact endanger the foundations of Christian faith... The Christian faith confesses that God wants to lead all people to salvation, that Jesus Christ is the universal mediator of salvation, and that there is no 'other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved' (Acts 4:12)."—Ibid., Paragraph 35

"It is easy to understand that the so–called ‘mission to the Jews’ is a very delicate and sensitive matter for Jews because, in their eyes, it involves the very existence of the Jewish people. This question also proves to be awkward for Christians, because for them the universal salvific significance of Jesus Christ and consequently the universal mission of the Church are of fundamental importance. The Church is therefore obliged to view evangelisation to Jews, who believe in the one God, in a different manner from that to people of other religions and world views. In concrete terms, this means that the Catholic Church neither conducts nor supports any specific institutional mission work directed towards Jews. While there is a principled rejection of an institutional Jewish mission, Christians are nonetheless called to bear witness to their faith in Jesus Christ also to Jews, although they should do so in a humble and sensitive manner, acknowledging that Jews are bearers of God’s Word, and particularly in view of the great tragedy of the Shoah."—Ibid., Paragraph 40

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Note: I realize that the readers of these newsflashes -- some 20,000 people -- include experts and ordinary people, journalists who are deeply familiar with these issues, and people who are not "Vaticanists" in any way. I try to offer some insights, and some fundamental texts, so that issues may be understood more clearly.

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Important stories

Several important stories are unfolding in these days:

(1) Catholic-Jewish relations: Pope Francis is about to visit the Jewish synagogue in Rome -- on Sunday, January 17 -- and he is expected to give an important address on Catholic-Jewish relations (Context: on December 10, the Vatican issued an important document on the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council document Nostra Aetate, stating that the Church does not conduct or support any specific institutional mission to convert Jews to Christianity; but this statement needs to be read in context. For more on this story, see below.)

(2) Split in Anglican communion over homosexuality: Primates representing the different national Anglican churches in the worldwide Anglican communion (75 million people in 160 countries globally) have been meeting in Canterbury, England, trying but failing to maintain their unity; in what is being depicted as a victory for the traditional Christian position, supported in particular by the African Primates, the meeting ended with the suspension of the US Episcopal Church because of that communion's openness to homosexual unions; a document approved by the Primates by a 2/3 vote said: "The traditional doctrine of the church in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds marriage as between a man and a woman in faithful, lifelong union. The majority of those gathered reaffirm this teaching." The document adds that the "unilateral actions on a matter of doctrine without Catholic unity" are regarded by many of the Primates as "a departure from mutual accountability and interdependence" and that they "impair our communion and create a deeper distrust between us." The US Episcopal Church will lose its vote in Anglican institutions and assemblies but will still have observer status, meaning that its representatives will be able to be present (link). Here is a link to the statement of the Primates (link).

(3) Controversy over homosexuality in the Catholic Church: two recent, important articles discuss the issue of a "gay lobby" in the Vatican and homosexuality in general; the first article (link) cites an important cardinal who is close to Pope Francis, Cardinal Oscar Maradiaga Rodriguez. In an interview published in Spanish in El Heraldo of Honduras, Maradiaga is asked whether there really is an attempted or successful “infiltration of the gay community in the Vatican.” Maradiaga answered: “Not only that, also the Pope said: there is even a ‘lobby’ in this sense.” He continued: “Little by little the Pope is trying to purify it. One can understand them, and there is pastoral legislation to attend to them, but what is wrong cannot be truth.” (Maradiaga is the Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and the coordinator of the Council of Cardinals who advise Pope Francis on the reform of the Curia); the second article (link) notes that a British Dominican who has written in a positive way about "gay sexuality" -- saying it "can be generous, vulnerable, tender, mutual and non-violent" and so "in many ways, I would think that it can be expressive of Christ’s self-gift" -- has been invited to a be a featured speaker at the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in the Philippines, which will meet from January 20 through 31. (Radcliffe was Master of the Dominican order from 1992 to 2001. He said in 2006 at a lecture in Los Angeles: "We must accompany [gay people]... This means watching Brokeback Mountain, reading gay novels, living with our gay friends and listening with them as they listen to the Lord"; Pope Francis in May named Radcliffe a consultor for the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (link).

(4) Destruction of the Christian presence in the Middle East. The horrific, tragic destruction of the Christian presence in the Middle East continues. The situation for Christians in the Holy Land is also not without grave problems. The Holy Land Coordination, a group of Catholic bishops which makes an annual pilgrimage to the region, has issued a statement (link) saying the Christians of the land of Christ “are not forgotten.” The bishops write: "To the Christian community and young people of Gaza, you are not forgotten. The 2014 war led to the destruction of thousands of homes and the physical and social infrastructure of Gaza, as well as the deaths of both Israelis and Palestinians. One and a half years later, while there are signs of hope and the resilience of the population is remarkable, many remain homeless and traumatised by the war. The blockade continues to make their lives desperate and they effectively live in a prison. At Holy Family Parish we were told: 'In this Year of Mercy, one of the acts of mercy is to visit prisoners and I thank you for visiting the largest prison in the world'. The bishops added: "To those Israelis and Palestinians who seek peace, you are not forgotten. The right of Israel to live in security is clear, but the continuing occupation eats away at the soul of both occupier and occupied. Political leaders across the world must put greater energy into a diplomatic solution to end nearly 50 years of occupation and resolve the ongoing conflict so the two peoples and three faiths can live together in justice and peace."

To donate to support the Christian community of the Holy Land, go to the donation page of the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, led with courage and determination by Franciscan Father Peter Vasko (link).

(I note in passing, with perplexity, that, of the millions of refugees from Iraq and Syria, it seems that almost none have been given refuge in the Gulf States, especially Saudi Arabia. Millions have gone to Turkey and Lebanon, and hundreds of thousands to Europe. Few or none have gone to the Gulf States.)

(5) Fibrillating economy. The global economy seems to be in fibrillation; currencies are rising 5% and falling 10% in a matter of hours (for example, in South Africa, link). The Baltic Dry Goods index (the cost of shipping goods around the world) is at record lows; global markets, whether in the value of companies (stocks) or in the value of commodities (oil, gold, copper) rise and fall abruptly, as in a casino, without any evident relation to true underlying value; as Pope Francis once said, "This economy kills." Are there any adults in the room who might suggest a wiser, more sustainable, more just, more "pro-life" course for our global economic affairs?

(5) Too quiet. Things are too quiet in the Donbass, the eastern region of Ukraine. It has been two years since the Maidan Square events in Kiev brought a new government to Ukraine. These months have been a chance to construct a just peace, but many on all sides have been busy instead preparing a wider war. Let us pray that peace may be granted to the beautiful country of Ukraine, and to all its neighbors.

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Story #1: The Visit to the Synagogue

The chief rabbi of Rome, Riccardo Di Segni, has said that he hopes Pope Francis will say to the Jewish community, when he visits the synagogue of Rome on Sunday, January 17, that Christians must not seek to convert Jews.

He made the remarks in an interview with the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, on the eve of the Pope's visit to the synagogue.

Here is the article, below and at the following link (link):

Rome's Rabbi: During Synagogue Visit, Pope Should Say Catholics Must Not Try to Convert Jews

Chief rabbi hopes Francis will deliver to a broader audience the gist of a recent Vatican document that says Catholics should not actively seek to convert Jews and should work with them against anti-Semitism.

Anna Momigliano

January 13, 2016

Rome’s chief rabbi hopes Pope Francis will send the message that Catholics should not actively seek to convert Jews when he makes his first visit as pontiff to the city’s main synagogue on Sunday.

Such a statement would send a clear message to Catholic faithful around the world, following up on a recent Vatican document, which states that the Church does not support any active missionary work among Jews, Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni said.

It would help spread a message that otherwise “may not reach a broader public,” Di Segni told Haaretz in an interview this week ahead of Francis’ visit, the third by a Pope following those by his predecessors John Paul II in 1986 and Benedict XVI in 2010.

“If the Church says the Jewish people must be appreciated and respected but writes it solely in a theological document, not many people are going to understand the message,” Di Segni said. “On the other hand, if the Pope visits a place of fundamental historical significance like the Great Synagogue of Rome, then the message of friendship and respect is clearly understood and manifested.”

The document in question – entitled “The Gifts and Calling of God Are Irrevocable” – was issued last month by the Vatican’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, and is considered a key step forward in relations between the two faiths. It clarifies that the Church does not actively seek to convert Jews, and pledges to “do all that is possible with our Jewish friends to repel anti-Semitic tendencies.”

“The timing between the new document and the visit, although not planned, is a good one: The new document shows a commendable way forward for certain issues that have historically been sensitive for the relationship between Jews and Catholics,” Di Segni said.

The document marked the 50th anniversary of “Nostra Aetate,” the Second Vatican Council declaration that rejected the concept of collective Jewish guilt for Jesus’ death and opened the door for dialogue between the two sides.

The new document reaffirms that God never revoked the covenant he made with the Jews, dismissing so-called replacement theology – the long-held Catholic belief that the New Testament supersedes the old one and Christians have replaced Jews as God’s chosen people.

The Vatican is now saying that the Jews “are still the chosen people, even though we don’t believe in Jesus, and still have a place in what they call salvation even as non-believers in Jesus. On a practical level it means that Jews don’t need to be converted. Judaism is considered a religion which is part of their religious system and deserves to be respected,” Di Segni said.

“It’s an important element, because replacement theology implies that Judaism is somewhat a dead branch that has run its course. It implies that [Jews] had fulfilled their purpose 2,000 years ago, leaving them exposed to continuous attacks, insults, and lack of respect,” said the rabbi, who already led Rome’s small Jewish community when Benedict made his visit to the synagogue exactly three years ago on Sunday.

Di Segni, along with other leading Jewish figures, had strongly criticized the 2007-2008 decision by Benedict to allow the use in the reintroduced old-style Latin Mass of a prayer for the conversion of Jews. The move had been part of Benedict’s attempts to warm ties with ultra-traditionalists who rejected the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

While the new document does not eliminate the controversial prayer, it diminishes its importance, the rabbi said.

“The problem lay in the text, reintroduced by Benedict XVI himself, in which the Church prayed for the Lord to enlighten the hearts of Jews so that they would recognize Jesus,” Di Segni noted. “This new document clarifies – and in fact reduces – the impact of this prayer. In short, it says that Christians shouldn’t give up on the hope [that Jews will recognize Jesus] but at the same time the Church should not act in an organized fashion to convert Jews.”

While he has welcomed the Vatican’s increased openness under Francis, Di Segni, Italy’s most prominent rabbi, has not always seen eye-to-eye with the Argentine Pope, particularly on proposals for interfaith prayer and theological dialogue — direct discussion and comparison of Jewish and Christian religious beliefs.

In 2014, ahead of Francis’ visit to the Holy Land, Di Segni told Haaretz in an interview that “from the theological point of view, there is nothing to discuss” with the Vatican.

Later that year, he declined to attend an interfaith prayer for peace organized by the Pope with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and then-Israeli President Shimon Peres.

“I was in Israel. Had I been in Rome, perhaps I would have gone, but I don’t agree with mixing religion and politics,” Di Segni told Haaretz in this week’s interview. “Even more so I am skeptical about the idea of multi-faith prayer. When dialogue and prayer are not kept separate I perceive a tendency to what is called ‘erasing differences.’ I think we should sincerely respect each other’s prayers while maintaining our different traditions.”

There will be speeches by Francis, Di Segni and other Jewish community leaders, but no prayers in Sunday’s papal visit at the grand, eclectic-styled Tempio Maggiore, as the synagogue located on the banks of the River Tiber is known in Italian.

Francis will also honor the memory of 2-year-old Stefano Gaj Tache, who was killed in a 1982 terror attack by Palestinian gunmen on Jewish worshippers outside the synagogue.

—Anna Momigliano

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The December 10 Document

The December 10 Vatican document on the relations between Catholics and Jews is an important text, and merits a close reading.

But, since few people will have the time to read the document carefully, it seems fitting to suggest the readings of three paragraphs.

The first comes at the end of the Preface. It reads: "The text is not a magisterial document or doctrinal teaching of the Catholic Church, but is a reflection prepared by the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews on current theological questions that have developed since the Second Vatican Council. It is intended to be a starting point for further theological thought with a view to enriching and intensifying the theological dimension of Jewish–Catholic dialogue."

So we know from the outset, when the authors tell us that "the text is not a magisterial document" that this text does not have the highest level of doctrinal authority. We may keep this in mind.

Sursa: www.InsideTheVatican.com

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