Thursday, April 3, 2008 at 2:02am
Vatican to 'clarify' prayer for Jews
A Vatican statement clarifying the meaning of an amended Good Friday prayer for the Jewish people will be released within a week, according to a Jewish leader involved in discussions with the Holy See. Rabbi David Rosen, the chairman of the International Jewish Committee on Inter-religious Consultations, told reporters that Cardinal Tarciscio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, will sign the statement, which was approved by Pope Benedict XVI. The Vatican has not commented on the latest reports, Catholic World News reported Thursday.
The clarifying statement will respond to concerns raised by Jewish leaders after Pope Benedict issued a new version of the traditional prayer for Jews in the 1961 Roman Missal. The revised text— used only in Latin, in the few churches where the extraordinary form of the liturgy is used during the Easter Triduum— preserves the traditional prayer that the Jewish people might come to recognize Jesus as their Redeemer. Some Jewish leaders claimed such wording was a setback for inter-religious dialogue.
Rabbi Rosen, who said that he has seen a draft of the statement, said reassurance on that point would repair any problems in Catholic-Jewish relations. It should be understood, he said, that the Good Friday prayer "certainly in no way compromises the Church's total opposition to proselytizing."
The clarifying statement will respond to concerns raised by Jewish leaders after Pope Benedict issued a new version of the traditional prayer for Jews in the 1961 Roman Missal. The revised text— used only in Latin, in the few churches where the extraordinary form of the liturgy is used during the Easter Triduum— preserves the traditional prayer that the Jewish people might come to recognize Jesus as their Redeemer. Some Jewish leaders claimed such wording was a setback for inter-religious dialogue.
Rabbi Rosen, who said that he has seen a draft of the statement, said reassurance on that point would repair any problems in Catholic-Jewish relations. It should be understood, he said, that the Good Friday prayer "certainly in no way compromises the Church's total opposition to proselytizing."