Pope Benedict Prays for Jews... and Gets Bad Reviews
Just getting to blog about this from earlier in the month... Pope Benedict has reinstituted a prayer for Jews to recognize Jesus as Savior of the world. The prayer is only in a Latin service that takes place on Good Friday before Easter. I first read about this in this NY Times article. Here's what the translation of the prayer
The reason this is in the news is that a conservative worldwide assembly of Jewish rabbis has condemned it and says, "the prayer would 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."
This is one of those situations that I just struggle to understand. The Jewish body is effectively saying that we can't talk or have dialogue if you insist on saying that what historic Christianity and the Bible say about Jesus is true. But to deny the exclusive nature of claiming that salvation comes through faith in Jesus is to deny orthodox Christianity.
I suppose this flows from a mindset that says that disagreement about Truth is counter productive to good relationships with others and has historically led to violence. The reasoning usually goes that absolute truth claims necessarily lead to violence.
But this isn't true for a religion who's God commands them to "love your neighbor" and "pray for your enemies"; ala Christianity. The violence of some Christians through history is better explained by things like people who call themselves Christians but are not truly regenerate or by pointing out that God's elect, the Church, continue to be sinful despite being redeemed by him. Both of these explanations fit the Biblical description of mankind.
I disagree with Roman Catholics about some theological issues. But on this one... I stand with them. It is Biblical and right to pray these kinds of prayers.
What do you think?
7 comments:
For the Pope, as a public figure, to pray for the Jews is very offensive. This is because he is casting a negative light on Judaism and his prayer has connotations that Judaism is wrong because of their lack of faith in Jesus the "savior".
It is also wrong because the Old Testament in numerous places mentions that Jews are G-d's chosen people and that G-d specifically chose the Jews above all other races to carry his message of monotheism. This shows the amount of love and admiration G-d has for the Jews that he chose them above all else.
If the Pope is a good Catholic then he would know that G-d's love for the Jewish people is paramount above all else and he should in the future refrain from making such insults to the Jewish people.
Jesus himself was a Jew although deviating from authentic monotheism. The Pope didn't pray for the Muslims because he knew that the Muslims will deliver a strong message against him and withdraw their ambassadors and even cut trades with Rome.
It is shameful enough for the Pope that the Vatican sat down and watched as his fellow Christians killed 6 million of G-d's people and all of whom had crucifixes on their uniforms.
Menachem,
Thanks for posting a comment. I am glad to talk further about it with you. Let me respond to a few of the comments that you've made below.
You've said that it is offensive and an insult for the Pope to pray for the Jews because it connotes that he thinks the Jews are wrong in their theology. But isn't the reason why Judaism and Christianity (and every other religion for that matter) are different? They disagree about major theological points like the nature of God and salvation. That was the point of my post... Catholicism and Judaism are different and disagree on major issues. For the Pope to hide that idea or be ashamed of that would be to deny the unique tenets of the Christian faith.
The Bible does refer to the Jews as God's chosen people... I agree. But the Old Testament is also very critical of the Jews as well... especially God himself. It specifically states that he did not choose them because they were an impressive people. See Deuteronomy 9 here... "After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
The Golden Calf
7 Remember this and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God to anger in the desert. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the LORD."
Let me make it clear that I believe the Jewish people to be no worse than anyone else. But they are also no better. I will agree they are loved greatly by God. But the Old Testament also makes it clear that God loved them first so that they would announce and demonstrate the love of God to all the nations. (Gen 12:1-4)
I do agree that the Pope might be fearful that Muslims will respond violently if he prays for them to come to faith. But perhaps there are prayers for Muslims that we don't know about. The service in question is in Latin after all.
Lastly, any complicity of Christians in the genocide against Jews during the Holocaust should be condemned. But about the uniforms... I believe you must be mistaken about Nazi uniforms though. They do not have a crucifix on them. A crucifix is a cross that depicts Jesus on it. They did not have this. You may be referring to the German Iron Cross. But I believe that did not have any particular religious symbolism to the Nazi's. People who wear crosses are not necessarily Christians. Just as I assume you would say that people who wear the cross of David do not necessarily represent Judaism appropriately.
Menachem, may I ask where you're writing from? I'm just curious. Thanks again for your comments.
Oops. I meant "star" of David. My mistake.
My location is irrelevant.
You mention that the Jewish people are no better than anyone else.
I'm sorry, but I can't agree with you here. If the Jewish people weren't better than anyone else, G-d would've chosen another race to convey his message.
I found your post to be somewhat anti semitic.
The reason I believe the Pope is wrong to have made a prayer for us is that his people have been persecuting the Jews all along (besides the past 60 years). It should also be noted that the previous peope expressed his solidarity with the Palestinian people. A group of terrorists. Even further, no one has persecuted Jews like the Christians have. With this factor in perspective, it was very unnecessary of the Pope to make the prayer.
Thanks.
Dear Menachem,
How can you consider me anti-semitic in my post when I say that Jews are no better than anyone else? I'm saying everyone is equally sinful and bad. And I provided textual evidence of this from your scriptures. (And there's more there that says the same thing).
Rather it seems you might be anti Gentile.
I think you're overreacting.
I have no problem with the Pope, or any other religious figurehead, saying a prayer, of say compassion, for Jewish people. However, Brian, what you don't understand (and rightfully so because you are not Jewish), is that our hearts do not need enlightening. It implies that as Jews, as a people who acknowledge the presence of G-d in a manner that differs from the Christian one, we are ignorant in our understanding. That somehow we are incomplete or unwhole in our lives solely because we do not take Jesus to be the Messiah. Therefore, dialogue becomes strained when one party feels it knows more, understands more, is more aware, etc. than the other. How can it be that one religion usurps another in its authority on spiritual/religious matters? What about those who practice Buddhism, or Hinduism, or Islam? Do the billions of adherents to these religions need to take salvation in Jesus, too? Is the practice of their millenia old beliefs wrong, or lesser than those of Christianity? And which sect of Christianity holds the true practice of Jesus' teachings? If the Pope was as enlightened as he must believe himself to be, he would recognize that just because a book says one thing, doesn't make it so. That goes for Menachem's comment about Jews being better than everyone else as well. There is a difference between arrogance and confidence in one's self and one's beliefs. Arrogance is what the Papacy displays by maintaining its thrust towards converting (specifically) Jews in its prayer. Arrogance is what Menachem displayed with his comments. I pray for the day that those who lead and/or speak for their religions learn to better practice the tenets of their faiths more accurately, seeking first to understand and know the other, before promoting their personal views.
Even your own apostle Paul admits that the gifts and callings of G-d are irrevocable. You can't have some sort of new covenant that invalidates an older covenant. HaShem does't break His covenants. Any religion that claims to supplant or amend or overturn His covenant with Israel is inherantly false.
The prayer in the New Mass, which prays for Jews to come into a fuller observance of their covenant, is a GOOD prayer. Why not stick with that?
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