21/01/2002
Vatican / New document corrects previous statements that denied other beliefs
Yair Shelag and the New York Times Service
Monday 21th of Shevat 2002, January XNUMX, XNUMX
"The expectation of the Jews for the coming of the Messiah is not a false expectation." This statement would not have surprised anyone, had it not been signed by the Pope's theologian, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. This, in a document spanning 210 pages summarizing the work of the "Committee for the Holy Scriptures of the Holy See".
The new document is a departure from the "Dominus Jesus" (Lord Jesus) document, which was published last year. This document rejected any messianic belief that differed from the Catholic Church's view, and was criticized not only by Jewish circles, but also by the Protestant Church. Although Cardinal Ratzinger signs both documents, there is no direct connection between them.
The new document legitimizes the Jewish reading of the Bible, and the fact that the Jews are satisfied with the Bible alone and not with the "New Testament". Therefore, legitimacy is also given to the Jewish Messianic concept, which is distinctly different from the Christian concept: Judaism expects a Messiah who has yet to come, while Christianity believes in the renewed revelation of a Messiah who has already appeared in the past (Jesus). This is a dramatic revolution in the perception of the church: no longer one absolute truth, in which one must believe, but a Christian truth, compared to which the Jewish truth is no less legitimate.
The document also includes an apology for the fact that some passages from the New Testament, including criticism of the Pharisees for example, were used to justify anti-Semitism. The Pope's spokesman, Joachim Navarro-Valles, said that the new document also calls on Catholics to "embrace the moral values of the Bible, and not just its literary values," and that what was written in it has become part of the Church's doctrine.
According to sources in Israel, the fact that the two documents were prepared by different committees indicates that the new document should not be considered a turning point, but rather a variation of the Catholic faith. Dr. Alon Goshen-Gutstein, director of the "Eliyahu" school, which deals with interreligious dialogue, says that "it should be understood that the previous document was directed against the religions of the Far East, and not against the Jews. Ratzinger said in an interview after the publication of the previous document that Judaism is an exceptional case. Basically, 'Dominos Yezos' is simply a disaster in terms of public relations. The evidence, when the Pope met last Friday with Ratzinger's committee, he told them that they should take into account the media and how they sound in the media."
Surprisingly, the study was published with a thin silence and received no Jewish attention. It arrived in Rome bookstores in November, as a small book called "The Jewish People, and the Holy Scriptures in the Christian Bible." It was only when the Italian news agency published excerpts from it that it began to arouse public interest.
Daniel Rosing, former director of the Department of Christian Testimonies at the Ministry of Religion, says that "the new document is not a dramatic change, but a step in an ongoing process of legitimizing the Jewish faith; a process that began in the 1950s and continues to this day, in which there are also withdrawals resulting from internal criticism. But the direction is clear - recognition In the legitimacy of the Jewish understanding of the covenant with God."
Andrea Riccardi - the founder of the left-wing Catholic organization "Community of Saint Egidio", which promotes inter-religious dialogues and mediates in international conflicts - said that he was impressed by the depth of the new document. "This should instill confidence in the hearts of the Jews", mainly because the last few years have not been easy. "In the past we talked about a common ancient heritage. Now, for the first time, it is about waiting together for the Messiah - maybe not really together, but with a certain closeness," he said.
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