Rabbis may denounce prayer backed by Pope as dangerous to Jewish-Catholic ties - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Tue., February 12, 2008 Adar1 6, 5768

Israel Time: 02:12 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Rosner's Domain

Diplomacy

Defense

Jewish World

Opinion

National

Print Edition

Advertising

Books

Arts & Leisure

Business

Real Estate

Easy Start

Travel

Week's End

Anglo File

Rabbis may denounce prayer backed by Pope as dangerous to Jewish-Catholic ties

By Reuters

WASHINGTON - Conservative rabbis could vote this week on a resolution warning that a Latin prayer backed by Pope Benedict XVI, urging Jews to embrace Jesus, could endanger Jewish-Catholic ties.

The resolution reflects deep unhappiness over the Pope'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 recognize Jesus Christ as the savior of all humanity.

	Advertisement

"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 today, when 400 members of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly convene in Washington for their annual meeting, assembly officials said. For many Jews, the issue jeopardizes the rapprochement that has been under way since the 1960s, when the Vatican moved to clear Jews of blame in the death of Jesus, and condemned anti-Semitism.

"This appears to be a step backward," 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 Jesus and removing a phrase that asked God to "remove the veil from their hearts."

According to an unofficial translation the new prayer says in part: "Let us also pray for the Jews. So that God our Lord enlightens their hearts so that they recognize Jesus Christ savior of all men."

Nonetheless, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the Church's top cardinal on relations with Jews, said the prayer was not a sign that Catholics "are embarking on a mission [to convert Jews]." Rather, "we are giving witness to our faith," he said in an interview last week.

As most of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics hear mass in their local languages, only several hundred thousand traditionalists would hear the Latin prayer on Good Friday.

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Google N for Nakba
	Israeli town sues Google over claim it was built on ruins of Palestinian village.


	A Belgian treat
	U.S. Jew says he was kicked out of a Bruges cafe because he was wearing a skullcap.

Today Online


	Hamas leaders go underground as Israel plans targeted killings
	Responses: 307


	U.S. Jew says kicked out of Belgian cafe for wearing kippah
	Responses: 220


	Harel and Issacharoff: New Hamas tactic: Bomb Israel into truce
	Responses: 146


	Hebron settlers, Arab clans said holding 'reconciliation talks'
	Responses: 78

More Headlines
01:03 Gaza, Iran on agenda as Olmert meets Merkel in Berlin


01:04 Ashkenazi: IDF ready to widen Gaza actions as much as needed


02:03 ANALYSIS: Hamas banks on IDF invasion to deliver final blow to Abbas


22:50 Palestinians: Two civilians wounded in IAF strike in southern Gaza


23:48 Police arrest five at Sderot residents' protest in Jerusalem


00:17 U.S. Congressman, Holocaust survivor Tom Lantos dies at 80


21:49 Israeli town sues Google over claim it was built on Arab village


21:36 Shas: We'll quit government if peace talks continue amid terror


17:35 Think Clinton won the Jewish vote in California? Think again


21:58 Poll: 100,000 children in Israel have been sexually assaulted


19:22 Prosecutor: AG was right not to indict police for Oct. 2000 deaths


20:33 U.S. Defense Department seeks death penalty for six Sept. 11 suspects


16:48 German Jewish leader: No need for aliyah agency like Nativ here


14:14 U.S. Jew says kicked out of Belgian cafe for wearing kippah