Vatican City, 10 December 2015 (VIS) –
The Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews has published
today the document “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)”. The text consists of a Preface and seven
chapters, entitled: “A brief history of the impact of 'Nostra
Aetate' (No.4) over the last 50 years”, “The special theological
status of Jewish-Catholic dialogue”, “Revelation in history as
'Word of God' in Judaism and Christianity”, “The relationship
between the Old and New Testament and the Old and New Covenant”,
“The universality of salvation in Jesus Christ and God’s
unrevoked covenant with Israel”, “The Church’s mandate to
evangelise in relation to Judaism”, and “The goals of dialogue
with Judaism”.
“Fifty years ago”, says the
Preface, “the declaration 'Nostra Aetate' of the Second Vatican
Council was promulgated. Its fourth article presents the relationship
between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people in a new
theological framework. The following reflections aim at looking back
with gratitude on all that has been achieved over the last decades in
the Jewish–Catholic relationship, providing at the same time a new
stimulus for the future. Stressing once again the unique status of
this relationship within the wider ambit of interreligious dialogue,
theological questions are further discussed, such as the relevance of
revelation, the relationship between the Old and the New Covenant,
the relationship between the universality of salvation in Jesus
Christ and the affirmation that the covenant of God with Israel has
never been revoked, and the Church’s mandate to evangelize in
relation to Judaism. This document presents Catholic reflections on
these questions, placing them in a theological context, in order that
their significance may be deepened for members of both faith
traditions. 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”.
The first chapter explains that great
steps have been taken in the dialogue over the last fifty years, and
from a detached co–existence we have arrived at a deep friendship.
The Conciliar declaration “Nostra Aetate” (No.4) definitively
clarified, for the first time, the theological position of the
Catholic Church with respect to Judaism; the document has had a
profound impact on many levels.
With regard to the special theological
status of Jewish-Catholic dialogue, the second chapter affirms that
due to the Jewish roots of Christianity, the dialogue with Judaism
cannot in any way be compared with the dialogue with the other world
religions. Jesus can only be understood in the Jewish context of his
time, even though as the Messiah of Israel and the Son of God he
transcends that historical horizon.
God reveals himself in his Word, he
communicates with humanity. For Jews, this Word is present in the
Torah; for Christians, the Word of God is incarnated in Jesus Christ.
However, the Word of God is indivisible and calls people to respond
in such a way that enables them to live in the right relationship
with God, as explained in the third chapter.
The relationship between the Old and
New Testament and the Old and New Covenant is the subject of the
fourth chapter. There is an indissoluble unity between them, even
though the two Testaments are interpreted differently by Jews and
Christians on the basis of their respective religious traditions. For
Christians, the Old Testament is to be comprehended and interpreted
in the light of the New Testament. The Old and the New Testament are
part of the one and only history of the covenant between God and his
people, even though the New Testament is to be considered as the
fulfilment of the promises of the Old.
The fifth chapter emphasises that
through Jesus Christ – and through his death and resurrection –
all people have a part in salvation, all are saved. Although Jews
cannot believe in Jesus Christ as the universal redeemer, they have a
part in salvation, because the gifts and the calling of God are
irrevocable. How that can be possible remains an unfathomable mystery
in the salvific plan of God.
The sixth chapter considers the
Church’s mandate to evangelise in relation to Judaism. While in the
dialogue with Judaism Catholics bear witness to their faith in Jesus
Christ, they refrain from active attempts at conversion or mission
towards Jews. The Catholic Church does not envisage any institutional
mission towards the Jews.
In the seventh and final chapter, it is
concluded that engaging in fraternal dialogue, Jews and Catholics
must learn to understand one another better, to seek reconciliation
increasingly, and to commit themselves together to promote justice,
peace and the care of creation, and to make every effort to oppose
anti–Semitism. They must intensify their cooperation in the
humanitarian sphere in assisting the poor, the vulnerable, and the
marginalised, in order to become, together, a blessing for the world.
The full text of the document can be
consulted at:
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/relations-jews-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20151210_ebraismo-nostra-aetate_en.html
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