Vatican City, 10 December 2015 (VIS) -
“The Gifts and the Calling of God are Irrevocable: a Reflection on
Theological Questions Pertaining to Catholic–Jewish Relations on
the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of 'Nostra Aetate' (No. 4)” is
the title of the document published by the Commission for Religious
Relations with the Jews, presented this morning in the Holy See Press
Office. The panel was composed of Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of
the dicastery; Rabbi David Rosen of the American Jewish Committee,
the theologian Professor Edward Kessler of Cambridge, and Fr. Norbert
Hoffmann, S.D.B.
Cardinal Koch recalled that on 28
October this year, in accordance with Pope Francis' wishes, a special
general audience was organised to commemorate the promulgation of the
Conciliar declaration “Nostra Aetate” exactly fifty years
earlier. The audience was attended by numerous representatives of
other religions, whose presence demonstrated that the declaration
represented a cornerstone in the change in Church's attitude towards
other religions. The Commission chaired by the cardinal decided this
year to present a new document returning to the theological
principles of the fourth part of “Nostra Aetate”, extending and
exploring them in further depth where they regard the relations
between the Catholic Church and Jews.
He said, “It is an explicitly
theological document that intends to retrace and clarify the issues
that have emerged during the recent decades of the Jewish-Catholic
dialogue. Prior to this text, no other document of a strictly
theological nature has been published by our Commission: the three
preceding documents, 'Guidelines and suggestions for implementing the
Conciliar Declaration “Nostra Aetate” (No. 4)' (1974), 'Notes on
the correct way to present Jews and Judaism in preaching and
catechesis in the Catholic Church' (1985) and 'We remember: a
reflection on the Shoah' (1998), referred mainly to concrete themes,
useful for dialogue with Judaism from a practical point of view”.
The new document – summarised below,
along with a link to the full text – seeks to emphasise that
dialogue with Judaism after fifty years now stands on solid ground,
as during this period significant results have been achieved. “We
are very grateful for the efforts that have been made by both Jews
and Catholics for the promotion of our dialogue”, concluded
Cardinal Koch. “But it is very important to remember that, as
emphasised in the document and especially from a theological point of
view, we are only at a new beginning: many questions remain open and
require further study”.
Rabbi Rosen highlighted that the new
document shows “not only the advancement of the recommendations of
the 1974 Guidelines on 'Nostra Aetate', to appreciate and respect
Jewish self-understanding, but also a deepening recognition of the
place of the Torah in the life of the Jewish people and, in
accordance with the Pontifical Biblical Commission's work, an
acknowledgement of the integrity of Jewish reading of the Bible that
is different from the Christian one. Indeed, the very fact that the
document also quotes extensively from Jewish rabbinical sources is
further testimony of this respect”.
The rabbi also mentioned that, as
Cardinal Koch and Fr. Hoffman had already mentioned, “this is a
Catholic document reflecting Catholic theology. Inevitably, then,
there are passages in it that do not resonate with a Jewish
theology”. He notes the importance of appreciating “the
centrality that the Land of Israel plays in the historic and
contemporary religious life of the Jewish people”.
“Indeed even in terms of the
historical survey of the milestones along this remarkable journey
since 'Nostra Aetate', the establishment of full bilateral relations
between the State of Israel and the Holy See (very much guided and
promoted by St. John Paul II) was one of the historic highlights.
Moreover, the preamble and the first article of the Fundamental
Agreement between the two parties precisely acknowledges this
significance. Without 'Nostra Aetate', the establishment of these
relations would surely not have been feasible. The Fundamental
Agreement not only paved the way for the historic papal pilgrimages
to the Holy Land and thus to the establishment of the bilateral
commission with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, but arguably reflected
more than anything else the fact that the Catholic Church had truly
repudiated its portrayal of the Jewish people as condemned wanderers
to be homeless until the final advent”.
“The reference to peace in the Holy
land as pertinent to the Catholic-Jewish relationship is also
important. The peoples there live in mutual alienation and
disappointment, and I believe that the Catholic Church can play an
important role in rebuilding trust, such as the initiative of prayer
for peace taken by Pope Francis. Let me express the hope that there
soon will be further initiatives to enable religion to be a source of
healing rather than conflict; and to ensure that these are
coordinated with those who have the political authority to pave the
way to enable the land and the city of peace to fulfil its name”.
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