Supporters of the Latin Mass will use a controversial prayer for the conversion of Jews on Good Friday despite criticism by a former chief rabbi of Ireland.Pope Benedict decided last year to al low traditional Catholics unrestricted use of the pre-Vatican II liturgy.
But after lobbying by Jewish groups, last month he revised the prayer for the conversion of Jews in the traditional form of the Good Friday liturgy.
The prayer had previously been changed by Pope Pius XII and by Pope John XXIII, who deleted a reference to ‘‘perfidious Jews’’ in 1960.
The Vatican’s Secretariat of State announced on February 6 that the text had been revised to eliminate the reference to the Jews’ ‘‘blindness’’ about Christ, but retained a prayer for the conversion of the Jews.
The change does not apply to Good Friday prayers in the new vernacular liturgy. The new version, which will be read only in Latin, translates as: ‘‘Let us also pray for the Jews: that God our Lord might enlighten their hearts, so that they might know Jesus Christ as the Saviour of all men.”
The former chief rabbi of Ireland, David Rosen, expressed ‘‘deep regret and disappointment’’ at the revised prayer.
He said Pope Benedict had ‘‘regrettably’’ reinforced the conservative view of the need for Jews to accept the Christian faith in order to find complete salvation.
In a statement, Rosen, who is now president of the International Council of Christians and Jews, said: ‘‘While we appreciate that the text avoids any derogatory language towards Jews, it’s regretful that the prayer explicitly calls for Jews to accept Christianity.”
But traditional Catholics attending Good Friday services throughout the country will now use the revised prayer.
It will be recited at the liturgy of the Passion at 6pm on Friday at St Kevin’s church, Harrington Street, Dublin.
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