Tag: Jews

Pope tells Christians, and Jews, of the guidance of Providence: work together for common good

A delegation of B’nai B’rth International met with Pope Benedict today in Rome. They had done the same 5 years ago (here is the Pope 18 December 2006 address). This meeting is a follow-up meeting of a February meeting held in Paris marking the 40th anniversary of official dialogue between the Holy See and the Jews. As in 2006 so today, the Pope has called Chrsitians and Jews to work more closely together on common projects of healing, spiritual and more values grounded in faith and works of charity for the good of the other. A portion of what the Pope said may be of some interest here:

The Paris meeting affirmed the desire of Catholics and Jews to stand together in meeting the immense challenges facing our communities in a rapidly changing world and, significantly, our shared religious duty to combat poverty, injustice, discrimination and the denial of universal human rights. There are many ways in which Jews and Christians can cooperate for the betterment of the world in accordance with the will of the Almighty for the good of mankind. Our thoughts turn immediately to practical works of charity and service to the poor and those in need; yet one of the most important things that we can do together is bear common witness to our deeply-held belief that every man and woman is created in the divine image (cf. Gen 1:26-27) and thus possessed of inviolable dignity. This conviction remains the most secure basis for every effort to defend and promote the inalienable rights of each human being.

In a recent conversation between delegations of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, held in Jerusalem at the end of March, stress was laid on the need to promote a sound understanding of the role of religion in the life of our present-day societies as a corrective to a purely horizontal, and consequently truncated, vision of the human person and social coexistence. The life and work of all believers should bear constant witness to the transcendent, point to the invisible realities which lie beyond us, and embody the conviction that a loving, compassionate Providence guides the final outcome of history, no matter how difficult and threatening the journey along the way may sometimes appear. Through the prophet we have this assurance: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer 29:11).

Pope Benedict clarifies Christian view of who killed Jesus

The Jerusalem Post published a story today picking up on Pope Benedict’s clarifies what Christians believe about the Jews viz. the death Jesus. Sergio Minerbi’s article “Pope Benedict Revises the Gospels” looks at Benedict’s volume 2 of Jesus of Nazareth. This issue has been a painful one among Christians and Jews through the millennia. In his typical manner of precise writing –because of sharp thinking– Benedict challenges the reality of ideology that’s been a force for violence than reconciliation. This article ought to get you to re-read Nostra Aetate and to read volume 2 of Jesus of Nazareth.

The on-going work of remembering of the Jewish holocaust

H2O News aired an interview with an acquaintance of mine, Jesuit Father David Neuhaus, who gave his family’s recollection of the Nazi atrocities in WWII. Himself a convert to Catholicism his thoughts are poignant. Each year at January’s end there is a Day of Remembrance. Father David is the vicar of Hebrew Christians for the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. I recommend watching the interview.

Catholics don’t celebrate Jewish holy days, why?

Not long ago a friend asked me why Catholics don’t celebrate
the Jewish holy days. Good question.

A response to the question as to why we
don’t celebrate the Jewish holy days would be along these lines: the Paschal
Triduum is the Christian Passover, the true Pasch. Even the Greek and Latin
name for Easter tells us that (as also the derivation of the name for Easter in
Spanish, French, Italian from the same root).

In one sense, Jesus’ teaching was
in continuity with Judaism (Mt 5.17: “Think not that I have come to abolish
the Law”); but he also in Matthew 5 puts himself forward as a higher Lawgiver
than Moses (“you have heard it said, but I tell you…”). I suggest
reading Rabbi Jacob Neusner’s book, A Rabbi Talks with Jesus, which makes this
point very clear. The Pope himself said in Jesus of Nazareth that Neusner’s book is
an excellent example of honest and reasoned argument between a believing Jew
and the Jesus of the gospels.

Continue reading Catholics don’t celebrate Jewish holy days, why?

A rabbinical ordination in NY

Gideon carrying the Torah.jpgToday, I had the distinct privilege to attend the rabbinical ordination of a colleague of mine. Gideon and I worked with the inter-seminary dialogue of the New York Seminaries,  and so being present for a friend’s ordination was meaningful and educative (since until now I had never been to a rabbinical ordination). 

Gideon graduated from Jewish Theological Seminary and was ordained a conservative rabbi –with several other rabbis– in the 116th ordination service held at JTS.

May God bless Gideon as he assumes the mantle of service in a synagogue!
(In the photo Gideon is carrying the Torah in procession.)

Under the Roman Sky, Benedict says, shows Pius XII living Charity

Last week at the pope’s retreat house at Castelgandolfo,
The Holy Father attended a screening “Under the Roman Sky,” a film on Pius XII.
Yes the pope watches movies! 


Following the film Benedict expressed his gratitude for being among the first to watch a screening of a film “which shows the fundamental role played by Venerable Pius XII in saving Rome and many persecuted people between 1943 and 1944. The primacy of charity, of love, which is the commandment of the Lord Jesus, is the principle and the key to understanding all the work of the Church, and in the first place that of her universal Pastor. Charity is the reason for all actions, for all interventions. It is the basic motive that moves thoughts and concrete actions, and I am happy that this unifying principle also emerges in this film. This is the interpretation I would suggest, in the light of the authentic witness shown by that great master of faith, hope and charity who was Pope Pius XII.”

Catholicism from a Jewish viewpoint

Having another perspective is always helpful. Excerpts of an article written by non-Catholic Sam
Miller – a prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman: “Why
would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions
that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church?

Do
you know – the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students everyday at the
cost to that Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to
the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. The graduates go on to graduate
studies at the rate of 92%.

The Church has 230 colleges and universities in
the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students.

The Catholic Church has a
non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment
of 1 out of every 5 people – not just Catholics – in the United States
today.

But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way
the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia
on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the
institution of marriage.

Let me give you some figures that Catholics should
know and remember. For example, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed
admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other
inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church,
41.8% of clergy women reported unwanted sexual behavior; 17% of laywomen have
been sexually harassed.

Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found
guilty of pedophilia. 10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of
pedophilia. This is not a Catholic problem.

A study of American priests showed
that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had
expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again
in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.

The Catholic
Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have
felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church. You have been
hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally
weeded out by now.

Walk with your shoulders high and you head higher. Be a
proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United
States. Then remember what Jeremiah said: ‘Stand by the roads, and look and ask
for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for
your souls’. Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence
and learn what your Church does for all other religions. Be proud that you’re a
Catholic.”  

Documents between 1939-45 on Pius XII papacy

The Vatican Publishing House is making available, free of charge on the internet, more than 8,000 pages of the Actes et Documents du Sainte-Siège relatifs à la Seconde Guerre Mondiale (1965-1981) edited by Jesuit Fathers Pierre Blet, Angelo Martini, Robert A. Graham and Burkhart Schneider.

 

vatican secret archive.jpgThe release of these documents are the result of a request of the Pave the Way  Foundation (PTWF) made to the Holy See to digitalize and publish 5,125 documents of the Vatican Secret Archives dated from March 1939 to May 1945. PTWF president Gary Krupp said his Foundation aims to remove the barriers between Catholic and Judaism. He told Jesús Colina of Zenit, “In the futherance of our mission we have recognized the papacy of the war time Pope Pius XII as a source of friction impacting over one billion people.”

 

More information on the Vatican Secret Archives may be found here.