A Vatican official said it was "a worrisome sign" that Italian Jewish leaders opted out of the annual Day of Catholic-Jewish Dialogue over the wording of a Good Friday prayer."We hope they will return to a serious dialogue," Cardinal Walter Kasper told Vatican Radio Jan. 17. The cardinal heads the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
"They are protesting against a so-called 'superiority' of Christians, but I have to say the word 'superiority' is not part of our terminology. We say the Old Testament, which we have in common, is fulfilled by the New Testament and by Jesus Christ -- but this is a position we have always had," the cardinal said.
In November, members of the Italian Rabbinical Assembly said they would not co-sponsor the annual Day of Catholic-Jewish Dialogue. The rabbinical assembly and the Italian bishops' conference have together sponsored the Jan. 17 dialogue day since 1990.
The Jewish leaders objected to a Good Friday prayer revised by Pope Benedict XVI for use only at services following the 1962 Roman Missal, or Tridentine rite. The revised prayer says: "Let us pray for the Jews. May the Lord our God enlighten their hearts so that they may acknowledge Jesus Christ, the savior of all men."
The second line of the prayer reads: "Almighty and everlasting God, you who want all men to be saved and to reach the awareness of the truth, graciously grant that, as the full number of the gentiles comes into your church, all Israel may be saved."
In early January, Rabbi Elia Enrico Richetti, the chief rabbi of Venice, wrote in a magazine article that the prayer, which seemed to call for the conversion of Jews, showed a lack of respect and was an obstacle to authentic dialogue.
In his interview with Vatican Radio, Cardinal Kasper said that, although Christians and Jews were divided on the issue of Christology, Catholics respected the beliefs of Jews. He underlined that the only place where dialogue had been interrupted was in Italy.
The cardinal also said that, while dialogue was useful, it was even more important for the two faiths to demonstrate common values in today's secularized society when it comes to issues like the family, human rights, peace and justice.
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(Source: CNS)