February 5, 2009

American Jews often need reminding of the enormous strides the Catholic Church has taken in the decades since its revolutionary 1962-65 Second Vatican Council, which repudiated the notion of collective Jewish guilt for Jesus’ death. That move opened the way for a deep and warm dialogue between Catholics and Jews.

Last month there was indeed a reminder of that dialogue, but a negative one: In lifting the ex-communication of an English bishop who happens to deny the main facts of the Holocaust, Pope Benedict XVI returned Catholic-Jewish relations to the headlines, in an extremely unfortunate way.

The Vatican has defended the decision as an internal affair, saying the move was meant to encourage unity among Catholicism’s diverse factions, not to legitimize Bishop Richard Williamson’s odious views. And some Jewish commentators, including Seton Hall’s Rabbi Alan Brill and CLAL’s Rabbi Irwin Kula, have asserted that Jews are overreacting. The church’s commitment to Vatican II and exposing the horrors of the Holocaust remain undiminished, these longtime participants in interfaith dialogue assert.

Nevertheless, the pope’s decision, criticized by some within the church leadership as hasty and taken by a conservative theologian with too little consultation, suggested a troubling insensitivity to Jewish feelings. Understandably, Jewish organizations and leaders like Elie Wiesel are asking for and deserve answers to questions about whether the reinstatement of Williamson and other harsh critics of Vatican II signals something else about the relationship between the two faiths.

The Catholic-Jewish dialogue is too precious to destroy with misguided decisions and knee-jerk condemnations. But if ever there were a need for dialogue, it is now, before a bump in the road becomes a chasm. We’re listening.

Comment: comments@njjewishnews.com

--TOP--