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Pope Benedict XVI meeting with PM Ehud Olmert in the Vatican in December 2006. (AP/Archive)
Last update - 21:30 22/03/2008
German Jewish leader raps Pope over prayer for conversion of Jews
By Reuters
Tags: Pope Benedict 

The leader of Germany's Jewish community said on Friday she was surprised Pope Benedict could have allowed a new version of a Good Friday prayer for the conversion of Jews.

Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told Reuters Television she could not fathom Pope Benedict putting forward the new decree because he experienced discrimination against Jews in Germany as a young man.

"I would have assumed that this German pope, of all people, had got to know first hand the ostracising of Jewry," she said. "I could not have imagined that this same German pope could now impose such phrases upon his church."
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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 asked the Pope to change it.

The Vatican last month revised the contested Latin prayer used by a traditionalist minority on Good Friday, the day marking Jesus Christ's crucifixion, 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 Jews say it keeps an underlying call to conversion that they had wanted removed.

Knobloch said that she could not envision a continuation of the inter-religious dialogue as long as the old prayer stands.

"The inter-religious dialogue has suffered an enormous setback because of this version and I assume that one will find a way very soon to continue the dialogue, but at the moment I don't see it happening," she said.

"As long as the Catholic Church, that is to say Pope Benedict, does not return to the previous wording, I assume that there will not be any further dialogue in the form that we were able to have in the past," Knobloch said.

Related articles:
  • Rebel Catholics: Pope caved on prayer to convert Jews
  • Rabbis fear prayer to convert Jews will harm ties with Vatican
  • Pope nixes reference to Jews` `blindness` over Jesus in prayer

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      1.   Ms. Knoblch exudes a bad smell 19:23  |  David 21/03/08
      2.   everlaasting life must be very threatening to the chosen 19:30  |  oh well 21/03/08
      3.   pope can pray for me all he wants! might do some good 19:31  |  not chosen 21/03/08
      4.   Hail the pope 19:44  |  Alois 21/03/08
      5.   Oh, Please! 19:48  |  Dan 21/03/08
      6.   If Christians (Catholics) pray and Jews don`t convert, 19:56  |  Jozef 21/03/08
      7.   The Holy Father Changes the Good Friday Prayer 20:07  |  Ted 21/03/08
      8.   Jewish Prayers Offensive to Christians? 20:08  |  dan 21/03/08
      9.   Jesus was a Jew...! 20:15  |  Stephen. 21/03/08
      10.   Instead of complaining... 20:15  |  Bob 21/03/08
      11.   Vatican can`t keep their own people 20:18  |  Steven Harris 21/03/08
      12.   It is strong Family upbringing that matters 20:22  |  David Israel 21/03/08
      13.   Ratzinger will go down in history as the "Nazi Pope" 20:30  |  too bad 21/03/08
      14.   Christian prayer and Jews 20:34  |  Secular 21/03/08
      15.   Jews are too worried about what others are praying about 20:45  |  Focus 21/03/08
      16.   The Catholic prayer has no purpose except to demonize Jews 20:52  |  Haldrik 21/03/08
      17.   Pope`s prayer for conversion of Jews 21:07  |  Sam Revusky 21/03/08
      18.   # 14. Get me a Palestinian Scroll thats more than 21:13  |  Stephen. 21/03/08
      19.   too bad - what are you talking about? 21:14  |  HUH? 21/03/08
      20.   Steven Harris` remarks 21:16  |  hollingsworth 21/03/08
      21.   The Tora is a cultural artifact of an ancient aboriginal people 21:22  |  Haldrik 21/03/08
      22.   nazi pope 21:23  |  hollingsworth 21/03/08
      23.   who cares? 21:27  |  sweis Melbourne 21/03/08
      24.   Bavarian quarrel 21:28  |  Andreas 21/03/08
      25.   Pray for their conversion 21:29  |  Max 21/03/08
      26.   Just for your information 21:31  |  hollingsworth 21/03/08
      27.   Oh for heaven`s sake woman stop flogging a dead horse! 21:44  |  lakshmi 21/03/08
      28.   Help, they`re praying for us... 21:45  |  John 21/03/08
      29.   21 Hollingsworth. The laugh is on you..dude. 22:38  |  Stephen. 21/03/08
      30.   # 19 Hollingsworth..Christianity came from the Jews. 22:45  |  Stephen. 21/03/08
      31.   boo-hoo 22:45  |  whoa nellie 21/03/08
      32.   Hollingworth 22:54  |  sweis Melbourne 21/03/08
      33.   Jews must be extremely insecure and paranoid 00:19  |  Katherine B 22/03/08
      34.   JOKE IS ON YOU 00:38  |  TOBIA 22/03/08
      35.   To Stephen and Hollingsworth 00:46  |  Katherine B 22/03/08
      36.   conversion 01:00  |  tom 22/03/08
      37.   The real reason for conversion prayers 01:07  |  leo 22/03/08
      38.   Andreas: Bavarians among themselves? 01:07  |  Frank 22/03/08
      39.   PRAY FOR EVERYONE 04:19  |  PK 22/03/08
      40.   #33 Katherine B- Are you insecure? 04:42  |  PK 22/03/08
      41.   Katherine B 04:50  |  HS 22/03/08
      42.   Pope Benedict Saint...... 04:50  |  PK 22/03/08
      43.   #30 Stephen-Christianity didn`t come from Jews 04:56  |  PK 22/03/08
      44.   To # 36 and 37 05:14  |  Katherine B 22/03/08
      45.   Alois #4 05:27  |  JOJO (USA) 22/03/08
      46.   LEO #37 05:33  |  JOJO (USA) 22/03/08
      47.   Max #25 05:42  |  JOJO 22/03/08
      48.   Dear Pope, Jesus was a JEW 06:06  |  Joan 22/03/08
      49.   Prayer - over now 07:38  |  JW 22/03/08
      50.   NEXT TIME, THEY WOULD DEMAND POPE TO CONVERT 07:39  |  indrajaya 22/03/08
      51.   Katherine B was Cyklon B any relative? 08:12  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 22/03/08
      52.   my question is, why all religions wish to be like jews? 08:25  |  reuven 22/03/08
      53.   Jewish Insecurity - Katherine B 08:44  |  Fairman 22/03/08
      54.   to # 21 Haldrick - Who is aboroginal ??! 08:45  |  Steve the Pals. 22/03/08
      55.   They`ll never succeed 09:32  |  Neva Agen 22/03/08
      56.   WHY NOT TO JOHN PAUL II 09:53  |  indrajaya 22/03/08
      57.   oh-ee-vay! 10:06  |  eric 22/03/08
      58.   Neva again 10:29  |  sweis Melbourne 22/03/08
      59.   Hey Max #25 - I have news for you 10:37  |  R.C. 22/03/08
      60.   ZdJiD means trouble 10:44  |  Dav 22/03/08
      61.   Katherine B.: I forgive you 10:46  |  menucha 22/03/08
      62.   ?I must see my LORD or else?. Has Peter leaned the lesson yet? 11:53  |  Simon 22/03/08
      63.   Vatican strategie 12:25  |  anonymous 22/03/08
      64.   YESHUA BEN PANTERA WAS A JEW 12:33  |  Kooky Dennt 22/03/08
      65.   some progress 12:54  |  gary 22/03/08
      66.   2nd try,54 Steve the Pals to Haldrick,quite right ! 13:15  |  lakshmi 22/03/08
      67.   #56 Indraya - Why not your forefathers 13:32  |  Urani Diot 22/03/08
      68.   THANK G-D AMERICA ISN`T A PART OF THE VATICAN. 13:47  |  petra 22/03/08
      69.   Let him apologize for the Roman sacking of the Temple 13:49  |  r 22/03/08
      70.   enough converts 14:43  |  gamaliel 22/03/08
      71.   Convert the muslims 14:48  |  Peter 22/03/08
      72.   BOYCOTT SAN PELLEGRINO, SAN ANTONIO, SAN BENEDETTO......