Recent Developments in Catholic-Jewish Relations

In the following links, please find a document entitled: “Statement of Principles for Catholic-Jewish Dialogue”. This document was just issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The background to this good and important document is as follows. In August of 2002 a group of Jewish and Catholic scholars authored the document entitled, “Reflections on Covenant and Mission”, this came from the Consultation of the National Council of Synagogues and The Bishops Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, USCCB. This document, as you may recall, occasioned controversy within the Catholic Church, which some seven years later, this past June 2009, was given expression in “A Note on Ambiguities Contained in Reflections on Covenant and Mission”. This document in turn caused much concern in the Jewish community. This was expressed in a letter by five national Jewish organizations to the USCCB. It is in response to that letter that the latest document was written. The new document is accompanied by a cover letter to the five national Jewish organizations. All of the above documents are attached in chronological order.

This latest document from the USCCB is quite positive in that it clarifies the misunderstandings that emerged from the June 2009 document. This document reaffirms the Catholic Church’s long stated belief that the Covenant made at Sinai between God and the Jewish people “endures until the present day as a vital witness to God’s saving will for His people Israel and for all humanity.” The document unequivocally and clearly states that Catholic dialogue with the Jewish people “will never be used as a means of proselytism.” This statement repeats that the Catholic Church is “deeply committed to dialogue and friendship with the Jewish people,” based on the words of Pope John Paul II that the Jewish people are “our elder brothers and sisters in faith.” This statement also clearly states something that we in the Jewish community have not well appreciated. Namely, that in Jewish-Catholic dialogue we talk with a variety of different types of Catholic faithful. Thus it is important to keep in mind that official Church teaching is not always the same as the theological scholarship of Catholic scholars. Finally, please note, as the Bishop’s letter of October 2 states, the last two sentences in Item 7 in “A Note on Ambiguities…” are excised. Those two sentences read as follows:

For example, Reflections on Covenant and Mission proposes interreligious dialogue as a form of evangelization that is “a mutually enriching sharing of gifts devoid of any intention whatsoever to invite the dialogue partner to baptism.” Though Christian participation in interreligious dialogue would not normally include an explicit invitation to baptism and entrance into the Church, the Christian dialogue partner is always giving witness to the following of Christ, to which all are implicitly invited.

Up to this point this memo could have been written in any American Jewish community. However, it is important to state that we in Chicago should take much satisfaction in the knowledge that this latest document emerges from the friendship, convictions, and leadership of our own Cardinal George.

Reflections on Covenant and Mission
Consultation of The National Council of Synagogues and The Bishops Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, USCCB
August 12, 2002

A Note On Ambiguities Contained in Reflections On Covenant and Mission
Committee on Doctrine and Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
June 18, 2009

Letter from American Jewish Committee Anti-Defamation League National Council of Synagogues Orthodox Union Rabbinical Council of America
“Dear Esteemed Colleagues: The recent USCCB statement “A Note on Ambiguities Contained in Covenant and Mission” has caused serious concern in the Jewish community…”
August 18, 2009

Response to Rabbis
“On June 18, 2009 two of our committees issued a statement on a document written in 2002 by scholars who were part of a standing consultation between the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the national Council of Synagogues…”
October 2, 2009

Statement of Principles for Catholic-Jewish Dialogue
“Dear Friends and Colleagues:
Thank you for your letter of August 19, 2009 that expresses your important concerns over points found in “A Note on Ambiguities Contained in Reflections on Covenant and Mission,” issued jointly this year by the Committee on Doctrine and the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligous Affairs…”
October 2, 2009