Fifty years after the first major Catholic document rejecting anti-Semitism, the Vatican released a new document on Thursday reiterating that Catholics shouldn’t try to convert Jews and calling for a joint effort in the fight against religious discrimination.
Jewish leaders on hand for the Thursday presentation largely welcomed the document, although one complained that it doesn’t go far enough in recognizing the centrality of the land of Israel for Judaism.
Called “The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable,” the document is a theological reflection that builds on five decades of interreligious dialogue that began with Nostra Aetate, a 1,600-word declaration from 1965 that helped reshape Catholic-Jewish relations.
The new document underlines the importance of Catholic-Jewish relations, calling the bond unique “in spite of the historical breach and the painful conflicts arising from it.”
Among other points, it plays down, though it does not reject entirely, missionary efforts directed at Jews.
This just doesn’t sound right to me. I’ll have to read the document for clarification. I’ll remind readers here that it was only a few years ago that Pope Benedict XVI revised the Good Friday prayer for the conversion of Jews, removing any ambiguity. Here is the prayer in English:
Let us also pray for the Jews: that our God and Lord may illuminate their hearts, that they acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Savior of all men. Almighty and eternal God, who want that all men be saved and come to the recognition of the truth, propitiously grant that even as the fullness of the peoples enters Your Church, all Israel may be saved. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Its worth checking the original document, Anthony – a lot of rubbish seems to get posted in the media these days about what is said by the Vatican, including misrepresentations of its position.
Anyway, whatever the RCC’s position may be, the position for orthodox protestants remains the same “we preach the gospel to all, in season and out of season”.