"Foxman and his collaborators did not get what they were clamoring for: a formal abandonment of the necessity of Jewish conversion to Christ. What they got instead is a reformulation of the Good Friday prayer that takes away their issue while petitioning for Jewish conversion in a way that is, if anything, even more objectionable from their standpoint."
- Christopher Ferrara
In an ADL response, Foxman said, "While we appreciate that some of the deprecatory language has been removed from a new version of the Good Friday prayer for the Conversion of Jews in the 1962 Roman Missal, we are deeply troubled and disappointed that the framework and intention to petition God for Jews to accept Jesus as Lord was kept intact.
Alterations of language without change to the 1962 prayer's conversionary intent amount to cosmetic revisions, while retaining the most troubling aspect for Jews, namely the desire to end the distinctive Jewish way of life. Still named the “Prayer for Conversion of the Jews,” it is a major departure from the teachings and actions of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, and numerous authoritative Catholic documents, including Nostra Aetate."
Deprecatory language? Here at La Salette Journey, we have already shown that the language of the original Good Friday Prayer was not problematic from a theological standpoint:http://lasalettejourney.blogspot.com/2008/01/comment-left-by-mr-john-ansley.html And what of Foxman's assertion that the new Prayer for Conversion of the Jews represents, "..a major departure from the teachings and actions of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, and numerous authoritative Catholic documents, including Nostra Aetate"? Perhaps Mr. Foxman would care to be more specific?
Nostra Aetate, No. 4, states that: "In company with the prophets and the same Apostle [Paul], the Church awaits that day known to God alone on which all peoples will address the Lord in a single voice and 'serve him shoulder to shoulder' (Zep 3:9; Is 66:23; Ps 65:4; Rm 11:11-32)....It is, therefore, the burden of the Church's preaching to proclaim the cross of Christ as the sign of God's all-embracing love and as the fountain from which every grace flows."
The burden is now on Mr. Foxman to back up his assertion that the new Prayer for Conversion of the Jews constitutes "a major departure from the teachings and actions of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, and numerous authoritative Catholic documents, including Nostra Aetate." I have already shown that Nostra Aetate, while rejecting any expression of discrimination against the Jewish People, "awaits that day known to God alone on which all peoples will address the Lord in a single voice." I challenge him to cite one authoritative Church document which promotes a false irenicism.
Could it be that Mr. Foxman and his associates have a desire to end the distinctive Catholic mission to "proclaim the cross of Christ as the sign of God's all embracing love"?
Could it be that Mr. Foxman and his associates are guilty of the very thing they accuse the Catholic Church of?
6 comments:
I have nothing but respect for the Jewish people. Like the Church, I reject any form of coercion in their regard. However, what Foxman (and some others) want is for the Church to abandon her mandate to proclaim Christ to all peoples and to pray for their conversion.
I really believe that Foxman and the ADL will never be happy unless the Church jettisons her mission from Christ.
But this She cannot and will not do.
It's really a shame that Abe Foxman and the ADL want to sow discord between Catholics and Jews. I think that the ADL is perpetuating a climate of misunderstanding and fear. Let's all pray that the ADL will work with the Catholic Church to promote mutual understanding instead of engaging in the politics of fear and hostility.
I think the ADL (which I have always supported) needs new leadership. But then, by maintaining an atmosphere of sour grapes, they can raise more money right? But what a detestable tactic!
Susan, I agree with your comment. There is big money in resentment. The down-side to such behavior is that the ADL is harming Catholic-Jewish relations. I wonder: do they even care? Or is the prospect of future fundraising obscuring their vision while preventing them from doing the right thing?
The ADL seems to be waging a war against the Catholic Church:
http://www.firstthings.
com/onthesquare/?p=966
Tolerance? For all but the Catholic Church it would seem.
Fantastic post. In my opinion, the ADL is forfeiting much of its credibility under Abe Foxman.
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