Vatican’s Advice: Catholics Need to Help Jews Fight Anti-Semitism

The historic statement furthers a thaw in relations between the two major religions and creates a united front against anti-Semitism.

Recognizing their historic ties, the Vatican released a document on Thursday, stating with unequivocal clarity that the Catholic Church does not seek to convert Jews to Christianity. It exhorted fellow Catholics to work with Jewish organizations in repelling anti-Semitic tendencies. Vatican's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews made the statement in a document released to mark the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, a declaration made in 1965 by the Second Vatican Council that laid the groundwork for formal dialogue between the Jews and Catholics.

Vatican’s Advice: Catholics Need to Help Jews Fight Anti-Semitism[/tweetthis]

Pope Francis is scheduled to pay a visit to the main synagogue in Rome next month. In 2008, Pope Benedict revised the Good Friday prayer for converting Jews by the old Latin liturgy. He removed the reference to the blindness of the Jews and a request to God to take the veil off their hearts in favor of the more neutral request to enlighten them so that they acknowledge Jesus Christ, the savior of all men. Many of the Jewish leaders were disappointed by the revised language as they wanted no change. They maintained that God did not abrogate his covenant with the people of the Jewish faith.

@HereIsJorge No #Catholic theologian would say Jews don't need 2 convert. Anyone who says it is not Catholic. Vatican under pagan occupation

— TIMJPH (@truthismaster) December 10, 2015

Are you Catholic? This is another new leftist pope "edict" https://t.co/YzjExTiCav

— kevin miller wa (@TIO2X13) December 10, 2015

However, the dialogue seemed to have taken a positive turn. The 10,000-word document, entitled “The Gifts and Calling of God are Irrevocable” discussed Christianity's roots in Judaism. It said that the fact that they share common origins compels the Church to treat the evangelization of Jews differently from people of other religions. It added that the Catholic Church does not support directed missionary work towards Jews. It condemned any form of anti-Semitism and asked fellow Christians to fight its newly emerging forms. and maintained that Jesus and his disciples believed that the Jewish scriptures were God's revelation.

The Church also added that it is not possible to understand the teachings of Jesus without the context of Judaism and the living tradition of Israel. It maintained that the Jewish roots anchor the Christian faith in salvation history as it shows that the life, work, death and resurrection of Jesus were a part of God's work to save humanity from the beginning of time. The church stressed that joint study and knowledge between the two religions will only serve to augment the faith in one god and knowledge of the Bible among Catholics. It called for increased cooperation between the Catholics and Jews in their humanitarian work to combat poverty and sickness.

Resources

• Catholic News
• Reuters
• The Guardian

Follow the Conversation on Twitter