“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.”
That above is the new version of the old prayer prior to the Second Vatican Council in the Good Friday Mass in Latin which had Catholics praying for the conversion of Jews which refered to the “blindness” of the Jews and calling upon God to “lift a veil from their hearts.”
As is explained here,
in a Catholic journal:-
It is disturbing that in this era of theological reconciliation and ecumenical dialogue there is even a suggestion of anti-Semitism on the part of Catholics worldwide. Recently, Benedict XVI permitted the restoration of the Tridentine liturgy in the Church. There were anti-Semitic parts of the Good Friday liturgy prior to Vatican II. However since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council the Catholic Church has been instrumental in pioneering a new and restored relationship with the Children of Israel...Any suggestion that derogatory roots of our old misunderstandings and misinterpretations of theological beliefs between Catholicism and Judaism are just plain wrong, and need to be dispelled...
...The speculation in the secular press that the permission to restore elements of the Tridentine Rite that implies a restoration of anti-Semitism is completely unfounded and just plainly erroneous. The Holy See has been quite clear in this message, and all Catholics should protest any suggestions that indicate the Holy Father suggests otherwise.
Our liturgical Liturgy of the Word has as its foundation the ancient synagogue services of Judaism in the first century a.d. The Liturgy of the Eucharist is rooted in the ancient celebration of the Passover meal. Our Catholic altars and even our tabernacles are based upon the sacred altar of the Temple of Jerusalem and the presence of God in the Old Testament, Holy of Holies. We Catholic are dedicated to a deepening understanding and participation in faith with the first called People of God more today than perhaps anytime since the Apostolic era...
Here's more:-
The Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano published the revised prayer which will be said on Good Friday, the day before Easter when Christians remember Christ's crucifixion. The Latin mass is usually performed by a traditional Catholic minority, and the issue resurfaced after Benedict XVI issued a Papal decree in 2007 allowing a more widespread use of Latin for mass.
...Pope Benedict XVI deleted references to the 'blindness' of the Jews in a Latin prayer, after Jewish groups protested and asked him to change it. A passage calling for the 'conversion of the Jews' is to remain in the prayer.
"Let's also pray for the Jews, so that God illuminates their heart and recognize Jesus Christ as saviour of all men," the prayer reads. The prayer, a call for the conversion of Jews, appears in the traditional Latin mass which is rarely celebrated now. The revised version of the prayer will delete references to Jews' 'blindness' , 'darkness' and a call that God 'may lift the veil from their hearts'.
Even the weakest of the traditional Jewish Rabbinical organizations
are hot about this:-
Rabbi Joel H. Meyers, executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, the Conservative rabbis’ group, said leaders from the Reform and Reconstructionist movements had also been in touch with him about issuing a joint statement on the papal revision.
“We have been very much involved in interfaith activities and dialogue for years, and relationships with the Catholic Church are really quite good,” the rabbi said. “I think it really turns back the clock a bit and reverts to some sense that the church is pulling back from the positions it took in Vatican II.”
The way I read this, though, it's that Hollywood actor, Mel Gibson, who has won. Besides his
gutter antisemitism, he's the one who wanted the old Latin version to replace the vernacular text.
May I suggest that Israel get involved. How?
By halting all negotiations over Mt. Zion and other sites which the Vatican wants to steal back from us.
Posts
