After 40 years of formal
Catholic-Jewish dialogue, leaders in the movement feel an obligation to
listen to and support their younger members as they face new concerns
and prepare to continue the dialogue.
Members of the International Catholic Jewish Liaison Committee met in
Paris Feb. 27-March 2.
The committee is formed of Catholics named by the
Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and of the
representatives of 11 Jewish organizations, including the World Jewish
Congress and the Israel Jewish Council for Interreligious Relations.
In a statement distributed at the Vatican March 3, members of the
dialogue said they focused on what they had learned from 40 years of
dialogue and what they hope the dialogue can accomplish in the future.
Welcoming delegates, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris said that in
the years since the Second Vatican Council, Catholics and Jews have
moved from contempt and suspicion to getting to know one another and,
finally, to committing themselves to working together to help the world.
"Of course, we must time and time again ensure that anti-Semitism is
condemned as a sin against God and humanity, because unfortunately
anti-Semitism is not dead," the cardinal said.
Cardinal Vingt-Trois also said that the next step must be an effort to
make sure Catholic-Jewish reconciliation is something experienced not
just by Catholic and Jewish leaders; "it must penetrate ever more widely
to each of our members. The richness of this work and these lessons
must be better known in our parishes and schools," he said.
In their statement, members of the dialogue said that before their
meeting, they sponsored a three-day conference for young people from
both communities "to discuss the challenges of the future and to help
expand the dialogue and involve more young people around the world."
Members of the dialogue commission acknowledged "a common religious duty
to help relieve the global consequences of poverty, injustice,
discrimination and the denial of universal human rights," the statement
said.
"Participants were especially sensitive to the call of the younger
generation for true freedom and full participation in their societies,"
it said.
Looking particularly at the protests that spread across North Africa and
the Middle East in January and February, Catholics and Jews at the
Paris meeting said the pro-democracy protesters were "expressing their
thirst for dignity and freedom."
"In many parts of the world, minorities, especially religious
minorities, are discriminated against, threatened by unjust restrictions
of their religious liberty, and even subjected to persecution and
murder," the statement said.
During the dialogue meeting, members "expressed a profound sadness at
repeated instances of violence or terrorism 'in the name of God,'
including the increased attacks against Christians, and calls for the
destruction of the State of Israel," the statement said.
The Catholic and Jewish leaders said they deplore "every act of violence
perpetrated in the name of religion as a complete corruption of the
very nature of a genuine relationship with God."
The International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee promised to continue
meeting, and members said they would "work for a peaceful future for
the people in the Middle East region and the world, outreach to
Jewish-Christian dialogue groups in Europe and Latin America,
collaboration on social and ethical issues, and supporting the next
generation of young leaders so they can build on the historic
achievements of the last four decades."