Rabbis may vote to denounce prayer backed by Pope
Posted: Monday, February 11, 2008, 12:44 (GMT)
Conservative rabbis could vote this week on a resolution warning that a Latin prayer backed by Pope Benedict XVI, urging Jews to embrace Christ, could endanger strengthening Jewish-Catholic ties.
"We fear that the new Latin text ... may cast a harsh shadow over the spirit of mutual respect and collaboration that has marked these past four decades, making it more difficult for Jews to engage constructively in dialogue with Catholics," a draft of the resolution reads.
The draft could go to a vote as early as Monday, when 400 members of the Rabbinical Assembly, representing Judaism's conservative movement, will be in Washington for their annual meeting, assembly officials said.
For many Jews, the issue jeopardises the rapprochement that has occurred since the 1960s, when the Vatican moved to clear Jews of blame in Christ's death and condemned anti-Semitism.
Believers are likely to keep a close watch on Pope Benedict and his leadership of the Catholic Church after the late Pope John Paul II, who was known for reaching out to Jewish leaders over the Holocaust.
The resolution by the rabbis reflects deep unhappiness over Pope Benedict's decision to revive a Latin prayer, to be heard by a small minority of Catholics during Good Friday services, which says that Jews should recognise Jesus Christ as the saviour of all humanity.
Controversy erupted over the prayer after Pope Benedict moved last year to revive the old-style Latin Mass, along with a missal, or prayer book, that had been phased out in reforms of the 1960s.
"This appears to be a step backward from issues that have long ago been dealt with between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people," said Rabbi Joel H Meyers, the assembly's executive vice president.
Last week, the Vatican announced Pope Benedict had ordered changes to the prayer, deleting a reference to Jews' "blindness" over Christ and removing a phrase that asked God to "remove the veil from their hearts".
According to an unofficial translation from Latin, the new prayer says in part: "Let us also pray for the Jews. So that God our Lord enlightens their hearts so that they recognise Jesus Christ saviour of all men."
Even in its altered version, the prayer remains problematic for some Jewish groups.
"It's hard to dictate to the Vatican," Meyers said. "One would hope that they would take another look at this."
Following the prayer's revision, the Vatican's top cardinal on relations with Jews said the prayer should not be an obstacle to interfaith dialogue.
"This does not mean we are embarking on a mission (to convert Jews). We are giving witness to our faith," Cardinal Walter Kasper said in an interview last week.
The vast majority of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics hear mass in their local languages, and only several hundred thousand traditionalists would hear the Latin prayer on Good Friday, celebrated this year on March 21.
The Jewish assembly, which represents some conservative rabbis around the world, began its meeting on Sunday.
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Added: Monday, February 11, 2008, 20:30 (GMT)
Why would the rabbis vote on a resolution this week, if they all strictly adhere to their Conservative version of Judaism? Why is it that they do not all exactly agree with one another, if their faith is clear and perfect, and if they all are representatives of it? Would not they all be thinking exactly alike, if there were no differences in their understanding and enlightenment? If some were not more enlightened than others, then there would be no room for disagreement. There would be no need to ever take a vote on anything. If they were all scripture experts and were never wrong in their beliefs, then every resolution would be unanimous, with no need to vote in the first place. So who do they think they are, to DENOUNCE the prayer of another?
They all disbelieve that Jesus is the Son of God the Creator. They all disbelieve that Jesus proved himself and inherited our world by virtue of his blood and pain sacrifice. They all disbelieve that Christian belief in Jesus, love of Jesus and the reception of Jesus into our minds and hearts is everyone's path to spiritual salvation. How is it then, that they all disbelieve the Christian doctrines that 1.1 billion Christians believe? Did they take a vote? Did they pass a resolution of disbelief? If one out of ten of them thought otherwise, how do they know that the 10% were not correct, and the 90% were wrong? Were their disbeliefs decided by their "super delegates" long ago? Was God elected to be Lord of All by a majority of voters five or six thousand years ago? No? Then why does this miniscule group of rabbis consider voting on a resolution warning anybody about anything? Are they afraid that some Jewish commoners may learn something that they themselves don't know, and thereby lessen their own religious superiority, just as the vain Pharisees of 2,000 years ago were afraid? Are they afraid that some Jewish commoners might be enlightened by a light that they themselves can't see, and pass through a gate that they themselves and their upper-echelon religiosity cannot enter?
The Sun shines upon us all, and its light is for all to see. If some wish to cover their eyes or live in a cave, so be it. But let them not vote and be the deciders and authorities on the light, for all others to follow and obey, or in a cave to live, to carve drawings on the cave wall.
The Son shines upon us all, and His light is for all to see. If some wish to cover their eyes or live in a cave, so be it. But let them not vote and be the deciders and authorities on the light, for all others to follow and obey, or in a cave to live, to carve resolutions in the minds of all.
Ray McDaniel, Tallmadge, Ohio, USA
Added: Monday, February 11, 2008, 18:37 (GMT)
Last week, the Vatican announced Pope Benedict had ordered changes to the prayer, deleting a reference to Jews' "blindness" over Christ and removing a phrase that asked God to "remove the veil from their hearts".
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These phrases are specific and correct. Pope Benedict need not make them vague to pacify a current religious sect, whose Pharises 2000 years ago refused to accept the Truth of Jesus because it infringed on their personal political power over their people, or on their religious eminence.
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According to an unofficial translation from Latin, the new prayer says in part: "Let us also pray for the Jews. So that God our Lord enlightens their hearts so that they recognise Jesus Christ saviour of all men."
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This Christian prayer revision, apparently made to pacify those of a different religion while yet blessing them, should respectfully be retracted. It strays from the previous, more specific, translation. Pope Benedict, reconsider for this reason alone; for contrary Jews secondarily.
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Even in its altered version, the prayer remains problematic for some Jewish groups.
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Those Jewish groups would do better to thankfully accept a different religion's prayer for their benefit, based on the love of them, whether they choose to disbelieve it's premise or not. They are free to choose what they do or do not believe, but they had best believe that their ingratitude for Christian love is wrong.
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"It's hard to dictate to the Vatican," Meyers
said. "One would hope that they would take another look at this."
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They are the descendents of good people who were blindly obedient to the dictates of those ancient Pharisees whose selfish personal Secular power and untouchable religious prestige felt threatened by the Truth of Jesus. These faithful descendents of that ancient mind-controlled populace might ask themselves, are they the only small percentage of the world's population whose beliefs are 100% correct? Is any of the world's dozens of varying religious groups 100% correct, making all the rest in some way wrong? Or, is the Vatican meddling in the wording of THEIR prayers?
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Following the prayer's revision, the Vatican's top cardinal on relations with Jews said the prayer should not be an obstacle to interfaith dialogue.
"This does not mean we are embarking on a mission (to convert Jews). We are giving witness to our faith," Cardinal Walter Kasper said in an interview last week.
The vast majority of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics hear mass in their local languages, and only several hundred thousand traditionalists would hear the Latin prayer on Good Friday, celebrated this year on March 21.
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The entire original AND revised versions of the prayer should be translated into the multitude of other languages, so that all Jews can receive the benefit of 1.1 billion prayers made on their behalf this coming Good Friday. If there are any Jews who are afraid of it, or disagree with it, or simply don't want the love of it, they are free to reject it. But let them be aware of their ungodly responsibility if they deprive any other, who has ears to hear and eyes to see, from being blessed by what very well may be The Eternal Truth of God.
Ray McDaniel, Talllmadge, Ohio, USA
