Vatican cardinal defends Jewish conversion prayer
Posted: Friday, February 8, 2008, 12:47 (GMT)
The top Vatican cardinal in charge of relations with Jews on Thursday denied a new prayer for their conversion was offensive and said Catholics had the right to pray as they wished.
Cardinal Walter Kasper spoke in an interview in a leading Italian newspaper a day after world Jewish leaders said the new prayer could set back inter-religious dialogue by decades.
"I must say that I don't understand why Jews cannot accept that we can make use of our freedom to formulate our prayers," Kasper, a German, told the Corriere della Sera.
The Vatican on Tuesday revised a contested Latin prayer used by a traditionalist minority on Good Friday, removing a reference to Jewish "blindness" over Christ and deleting a phrase asking God to "remove the veil from their hearts".
Jews criticised the new version because it still says they should recognise Jesus Christ as the saviour of all men. It asks that "all Israel may be saved" and keeps an underlying call to conversion that Jewish leaders had wanted omitted.
"We think that reasonably this prayer cannot be an obstacle to dialogue because it reflects the faith of the Church and, furthermore, Jews have prayers in their liturgical texts that we Catholics don't like," Kasper said.
In a separate interview with Vatican Radio, Kasper said: "The Holy Father wanted to say 'yes, Jesus Christ is the saviour of all men, including the Jews'."
He added: "But this does not mean we are embarking on a mission (to covert Jews). We are giving witness to our faith."
Jewish groups complained last year when the Pope issued a decree allowing wider use of the old-style Latin Mass and a missal, or prayer book, that was phased out after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, which met from 1962 to 1965.
They protested against the re-introduction of the old prayer for conversion of the Jews and had asked the Pope to change it.
Jewish organisations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Jewish Committee and The International Jewish Committee on Inter-religious Consultations criticised the new version.
"While we appreciate that some of the deprecatory language has been removed ... we are deeply troubled and disappointed that the framework and intention to petition God for Jews to accept Jesus as Lord was kept intact," Abraham Foxman, U.S. national director of the ADL, said in a statement.
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The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Sunday, February 17, 2008, 7:01 (GMT)
I hate to remind you good intended people but Jes... WAS a Jew. And anyone who knows kabbalah properly knows that he has been through hell severely for going astray from the correct Jewish path of his forefathers. however, now that he repented (hopefully), if you all want to help his soul in Heaven, you need to recognize that he was certainly not the son of G-d. G-d is not human. Many non- Jews will merit the upcoming days of Messiah because they have realized that praying to Jes.. is idolatry. Read www.dani18.com for more info on what is about to take place in the world. The real Messiah, son of David is near, a few months, and if you really care about the Jew you think is the son of G-d, you will help him by NOT serving him. He gets punished terribly when people bow to him. I was told by a righteous Jew that plenty of non-Jews will get to live in the Messianic age but ONLY if they stop idolizing and recognize Hashem, the only G-d, the One who created Adam and Eve and all of you, and loves al His children. You all have a purpose in this world but it is to recognize the real G-d and not a man who strayed from G-d and used magic (a forbidance in the torah) to lure others. there were plenty of jews who strayed but you dont pray to them... Jews are commanded to be humble and not use magic for anything but to attract people humbly to the King of all Kings... You dont have to become jewish, of coiurse not. we're not into missionizing. if i didnt care about others i wouldnt risk getting mocked and writing this. you just need to recognize Hashem, the true G-d. As for this prayer, you certainly have the right to pray for whoever you want whatever you want. im just telling you how to merit living in the Messianic Era. Jes... is not the son of David and the Tora says it is a son of david. . Do what you want with this info, but when Messiah comes this year, only those who are true to Hashem, Jews and gentiles, we will live on. be well!
simple Jew, Jerusalem
Added: Saturday, February 9, 2008, 20:24 (GMT)
One of the ADL's (Anti Defamation League) demands is: "Tolerance" They put this on their give away address stickers to donors. Practice your own demands, ADL (Jews)!
One or Catholics can never please the Jews. They complained when (Catholics) Pope John II visited and offered apology to their synagogue: "centuries too late...." they're complaining now how Catholics pray for them... What do they want??? Inquisition? Holocaust? Jihad? Maybe they can start being concerned with other people too, not only for themselves.
Susan Wachman, Yuba City , USA
Added: Saturday, February 9, 2008, 2:26 (GMT)
I'm glad the Catholic church has exercised there right to express their faith in freedom and good conscience. It is rare to see well intentioned people not "cave in" to weakened morals and convictions. Though people may disagree, they should be commended for their consideration of how the Jewish groups felt was offensive though they didn't have to.
Joel Montes, Fort Knox, USA
Added: Saturday, February 9, 2008, 1:23 (GMT)
What a sad day for Judaic-Christian relations. Why do we keep offending people in the name of Jesus??!! Thank God the opinions and teachings of the Vatican clearly are not God's plan or teaching.
I pray daily for the Church's conversion (especially in Lent).
Masto Noel, Los Angeles, CA USA
Added: Saturday, February 9, 2008, 0:29 (GMT)
Who really cares about what they say to their imaginary friends but I do think the Catholic (and interestingly German) priests are hating on the Jews again.
Irina, Jewrusalem
Added: Friday, February 8, 2008, 22:33 (GMT)
One must remember that interrreligious dialogue is NOT a blending of different faiths until you can't tell them apart. From a Catholic perspective, interreligious dialogue is an honest and fully disclosed conversation between different religions for the purpose of mutual understanding and fostering peace and justice. Regarding our Lord and Savior's actions, the question is not "What WOULD Jesus do?" but "What DID Jesus do?" The answer preach the Truth about God. Love, by the way is not giving people what they want but doing what is best for them. If Catholics believe that the best for someone is communion with Christ, how could they dare NOT pray for that, out of true love? God bless during this Great Lent.
Michael, near Chicago, USA
Added: Friday, February 8, 2008, 19:13 (GMT)
NOW THE JEWS WANT TO TELL US HOW TO PRAY? HOW DARE THEY!
Austin, Miami, USA
Added: Friday, February 8, 2008, 18:47 (GMT)
Well there will always be bigots and the Catholic Church is good at that !
I do not believe that Jesus would pray such a prayer,nor should anyone else. Maybe the Catholics need to remove the veil from their eyes. Effective conversion can only come when you treat with love another of Gods people.
Michael, Tacoma, washinjgton
