We
continue to provide comments by theologians and experts to the open
letter that Pope Francis wrote this week in response to a series of
questions posed to him by journalist and writer, Eugenio Scalfari, of
the Italian daily newspaper, “La Repubblica”.
One of the issues
into which the Holy Father delved in his remarks is that of his
gratitude to Jews who have kept their faith in God, through the terrible
trials of these centuries.
Speaking to Vatican Radio’s Linda
Bordoni, Joseph Sievers, Professor of Jewish History and Literature at
the Pontifical Biblical Institute, says that in his opinion the tone of
brotherly closeness that sets the letter is one of the things that most
impressed him…
Professor
Sievers says the tone of the letter is “one of speaking at eye-level to
a person who does not profess a particular faith, and so in this
context the answer to the question about Jews and Judaism, brings up the
personal level, the experience of Francis when he was in Argentina”.
And Prof. Sievers says: “Also I was impressed that he did not just speak
about answers, but also about the deep questions that he brings in
prayer to God about the Shoah. He does not pretend to have the answer,
but brings that question to God”.
He explains that “from that
one understands that he expresses gratitude for the faithfulness of Jews
in these thousands of years and especially in the last century”.
Prof.
Sievers says this is extraordinary and he “brings together a deep
theological statement – not directly citing Paul but referring to Paul’s
Letter to the Romans chapter 11 and chapter 9, - but from there
bringing it to a personal level and saying that we as Christians must
learn from Jews that we are still waiting together for the return of the
Lord, and that we cannot rest on our laurels or rest simply on what we
already have”.