Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday issued a replacement for a contentious Good Friday prayer in Latin, removing language that many Jewish groups found offensive but still calling for the Jews’ conversion.
However, representatives of Jewish groups as well as traditionalist Catholics quickly condemned the new prayer, though for different reasons. Jewish groups said it was still offensive, and traditionalists said they preferred the version that was replaced.
“It’s disappointing,” said Rabbi David Rosen, director of inter-religious affairs for the American Jewish Committee, who for 20 years has worked on Jewish-Catholic relations with Benedict as pope and, earlier, when he was a cardinal.
The prayer was a focus of dispute last year when Benedict allowed for greater use of a traditional version of the Latin Mass, called the Tridentine rite. That decree improved ties with Catholic traditionalists, who oppose the sweeping changes to church liturgy made from 1962 through 1965 during the Second Vatican Council.
The prayer is not part of the standard service used by most of the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics, who celebrate Mass in their local languages.
I’m usually a big fan of Pope Benedict, however, in this case, I’m not sure what he thought this change would accomplish. Those Jews and liberal Catholics who felt offended at the original prayer will still be offended, and the change will get the “trad” wing of the Catholic Church up in arms. No one’s happy. IMO, the original wording should have been kept and the reasons for it explained clearly.
“The full prayer also contains calls for the conversion of other groups, including Protestants, the Orthodox and pagans. ”
I wonder where their representatives weigh in on this issue and why they weren’t included? I do not wish to appear callous toward Jewish sensibilities or traditionalist emotions but is this a tempest in a teacup or what?
1 CORINTHIANS 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness
Why do the Jews find it offensive?
After all they know we believe Jesus to be the messiah. They do not. Of course, from our point of view, we would want them to see what we see.
How is that offensive? If a Muslim told me he hoped for my conversion – I would be pleased he cared about me and calmly explain that it would be an unlikely event.
http://www.remnantnewspaper.com/Archives/archive-2008-a_papal_masterstroke.htm
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2008/02/wdtprs-the-new-good-friday-prayer-for-jews-in-the-1962mr/
The Holy Father knows what he is doing.
A former RC, I am up for being received into the Anglican Communion through CANA. This makes me question what the hell I am doing.
“Oh God, save these also.”
“Oh God, screw up your mercy and save even these ignorant bastards.”
This is exaggeration, to be sure. But show me how the substance is changed.
#4 Conor is right, the Holy Father [b]does[/b] know what he is doing. I have read in many places that Pope Benedict is angling to eventually reform the Missal of Paul VI to be in conformity to what Vatican II [b]actually[/b] called for. The plan as some formulate is this:
1) Get [b]accurate[/b] vernacular translations in place (currently under way)
2) Restore the use of the traditional missal in its most recent promulgation (check)
2b) Eliminate the minor objection some people have of the Good Friday prayer (check)
3) Have the Mass of Paul VI be influenced by the positive aspects of the Missal of John XXIII
4) Reform the Mass of Paul VI
5) Have the mass that Vatican II called for (i.e. mostly Latin, chanted, reverent, with scripture readings and the homily in the vernacular)
Now I do not presume to know the Holy Father’s mind so I do not know if this plan is entirely accurate. From his writings it is clear that he has some pretty severe criticisms of the Missal of Paul VI. Time will tell.
I’m not surprised in the least that some people are upset by this revision of the prayer. Some people will always get upset when people actually stick to their convictions and act accordingly (remember [i]Dominus Iesus[/i]?). The ADL gets upset about everything so no surprise there. It will always be possible to find a Rad Trad who gets upset over things like this (I bet there’s some out there who object to the addition of St. Joseph in 1962) but I think the response Conor linked to in the [i]Remnant[/i] will be that of most traditionalists. At the Roman said: “tempest in a teacup.†– Indeed.
I figure if everyone is happy with what the Pope decides. He is not doing his job.
It is worth pointing out that the pope likely new neither side would be pleased, but also, not everything the pope does is a calculated political move designed to satisfy the needed constituencies:
The pope can also act on conviction. Given his own work on Catholic-Jewish relations yet his commitment to historical Christianity, he may simply have thought this was the right thing to do.