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‘I AM JOSEPH. YOUR BROTHER?
THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1965
GEORGIA BULLETIN
PAGE 3
Council Opens New Era In Catholic-Jewish Relations
BY RELIGIOUS NEWS SERVICE
Something unparalleled in papal or Jewish his
tory took place on the October morning in 1960
when the late Pope John XXIII, receiving a dele
gation of 102 American Jewish leaders,openedhis
arms in a gesture of embrace and said to them:
“I am Joseph, your brother."
In essence, this is what Pope Paul VI and the
entire hierarchy of the Catholic Church are ex
pected to say to the Jewish community through
out the world when the Second Vatican Council,
meeting on Sept. 14 for its fourth and last ses
sion, takes final action on a long-delayed and
much-discussed.declaration on the Jews—hailed
in particular for its forthright condemnation of
anti- Semitism —whiehwas given overwhelming
preliminary approval last November.
THE DECLARATION, substantially revised
since it was first drafted in 1962 at Pope John’s
suggestion, extols the great magnitude of "the
spiritual patrimony common to Christians and
Jews," and clearly counsels against teaching
anything that could "give rise to hatred or con
tempt of the Jews in the hearts of Christians.”
Referring to those engaged in catechetical
work or preaching, it says: "May they never
present the Jewish people as one rejected, cur
sed or guilty of deicide. All that happened to Christ
in His passion cannot be attributed to the whole
people then alive, much less to those of today.
Besides, the Church held and holds that Christ
underwent His passion and death freely, because
of the sins of all men and out of infinite love."
Although still officially confidential, the state
ment on Jewish-Christian relations — part of a
declaration "On Relations of the Church to Non-
Christian Religions" — has been published in the
world press and has stirred much speculation
and created extraordinary popular interest, as
have,two Other major pronouncements awaited
from the Council — one on birth control in re
lation to Catholic teaching and the other on the
thorny question of religious freedom.
THE DRAFT ON the Jews, which is still
subject to further amendments, has the support
of the entire body of American bishops at the
Council, but it still fades hurdles of both a
political and a theological nature.
A rumor originated by a London Sunday news
paper that the delcaration had been dropped from
the Council agenda was categorically denied by
Vatican authorities, who pointed out that such a
step would, in fact, be procedurally impossible.
According to the paper, the shelving of the de
claration had been prompted by strongly adverse
reactions throughout the Middle East, where Arab
sources interpreted it as a political statement in
favor of Israel, despite clear Vatican repudia
tion of any such intent.
"Hope is dimming that the declaration will ever
be understood there (in the Middle East) as any
thing but a political document," America, national
Catholic weekly, declared in an editorial last
week, which went on to say that meanwhile "the
serious consequences that could arise from the
Council actions...are enough to cause grave con
cern.”
"THOSE VATICAN officials who will be the first
to get the blame in the event of trouble or tragedy
are naturally particularly concerned,” the weekly
said. "The Council wants to eliminate pogroms,
not to precipitate fresh ones in which both Chris
tians and Jews would be the victims.”
America said that because of "extraneous is
sues and theological misunderstandings” which
continue to dog the draft, there was "always the
outside chance...that the Council may judge the
matter too difficult for decision at this time and
leave the issue in the hands of the Pope himself
Cor later action. We hope thatwon'tbenecessary-"
According to America, the theological hurdles
confronting the declaration on the Jews are more
subtle and "could prove in the end morefateful.”
BESIDES AMERICA, the theological aspects of
the declaration have been the subject of articles
appearing in the current issues of The Ecumenist,
bi-monthly publication of the Paulist Press, and
Theological Studies, a Jesuit quarterly.
The article in the Ecumenist was by Father
Gregory Baum, O.S.A., a member of the Center
of Ecumenical Studies at St. Michael’s College,
University of Toronto, who said the intention of
the conciliar text is to clarify Christian teaching,
since "the anti-Jewish tone of so much of past
Christian preaching was derived from certain
false theological presuppositions "and it was ne
cessary to correct these errors and to present a
Biblical understanding of Israel old and new.”
The text, Father Baum wrote, "really says
nothing on Christian doctrine that has not been
available at all times in the liturgy and to the
great theological authors (at least in the most
reliable part of their work) dealing with the
history of salvation. What is new, courageous and
strong in the conciliar text are the norms of action:
dialogue between Christians and Jews, condem
nation of anti-Semitismjpurification of Christian
teaching from anti-Jewish myth."
WRITING IN Theological Studies, Father Domi
nic M. Crossan, O.S.M., of Loyola University,
Chicago, said "the often-repeated statement that
the Jews rejected Jesus and had Him crucified
is historically untenable and must therefore
be removed completely from our thinking and our
writing, our teaching and liturgy."
"A small hard core of Palestinian Jewish au
thority opposed Him and had Him crucified and
in so doing they opposed the mind of their people,”
he said, adding:
"Much of our Christian anti-Semitism is based
on the fact that communal existence of the Jew
is a divine accusation of our failure to realize
on earth the final vision of Jesus in John 17:21-23.
When we do actualize itfully or even strive openly
and mightily toward the realization of the Church
as a community of love .. the Jew will see in us
that ... for which Israel has always waited, pray
ed and suffered."
IN ITS EDITORIAL, Am erica stressed that Mid
dle East Christians do not see eye to eye with
Western theologians and hence that a real con
census on the declaration on the Jewsmaynot yet ,
exist in the Vatican Council. In addition, it noted,
"many Jews themselves seem to have avery con
fused idea about what the Council could or should
properly do in this theological issue.”
"Some demands emanating frbm this direction
suprise, embarrass and even pain those Catholic
who are most anxious to see the Council get
along with the declaration," it said. "It sometimes
seems as if nothing short of the Rewriting of the
New Testament will satisfy the demands. Some
commentators argue that the Passion story, not
ably that portion concerning the part played by the
Jewish leaders and the Jewish people, is a his
torical fabrication and should be abandoned by the
Council."
Several Catholic publications have recently
complained that some Jewish spokesmen are
pressing the Catholic Church to "rewrite" the
Gospel in order to avoid offending the Jewish
people.
THIS PROMPTED Rabbi Marc. H. Tanenbaum,
national director of interreligious affairs of the
American Jewish Committee, to declare in a
statement last May that Jews who have any un
derstanding of Scripture and religious tradition
"are no more prepared to ask Christians to re
write their Gospel than Jews would be prepared
to accept any suggestions from non-Jews that the
Hebrew Scriptures or the Talmud be rewritten
or modified for reasons of goodwill.”
"HOWEVER," he added, "since present-day
Jews are the living descendants of 'the Jews’ .
who are referred to repeatedly in the Gospels,
and in light of centuries of persecution and vil-
fication of Jews by people who called themselves
Christians what many Jews do raise as a ques
tion before the conscience of their Chrisitan
neighbors — especially Biblical and theological
scholars is whether there are not resources
in Biblical exegesis and related scholarship
that would enable Christian teachers, priests and
the average- Catholic parent as well as writers
and journalists — to interpret appropriately those
passages of Christian Scripture which are most
easily open to distortion."
"For example, you are well aware that in the
Gospel of St. John the term 'the Jews’ is
frequently used when the author is referring to
a small group of leaders who were opposed to
Jesus; the multitudes who respected or esteemed
him are referred to as 'the people.’ Thus: 'And
there was much murmuring among the people
concerning him: for some said, He is a good man:
others said, Nay, but he deceivedth the people.
How be it no man spake openly for fear of the
Jews...’ (John 7:12-13). Who are ‘the people’
and who are 'the Jews?’ As is well known, they
were all Jews; but an uninstructed reading of that
Gospel can give another impression, contributing
to the harm and injury of innocent people.”
IN WHATEVER final form it comes, the Va
tican Council’s anticipated repudiation of anti-
Semitism will be the most impressive to come
from the Catholic Church throughout the long
centuries of the Jewish diaspora. Popes and
bishops have spoken out against anti-Jewish
persecution on many occasions, but this will be
the -first time that an ecumenical council has
pleaded on behalf of the victims of what has
been called "the great hatred."
The declaration of Vatican II will be a ring
ing endorsement of recent statements in which
church bodies have condemned anti-Semitism
and called for a new look at Christian teaching
regarding the Jews.
In December, 1961, the World Council of Chur
ches’ Third Assembly at New Delhi, India, adop
ted a resolution branding .anti-Semitism as a sin
and declaring: "In Christian teaching the historic
events which led to the crucifixion should not be
so presented as to fasten upon the Jewish people
today responsibilities which belong to our cor
porate humanity and not to one race or com-
munity...The Jews were the first to accept Jesus,
and Jews are not the only ones who do not yet re
cognize Him.”
WHEN WCC SECRETARY general Dr. W.A.
Visser *t Hooft was asked to comment on the text
before the Vatican Council, he had this to say:
“I haven’t seen the last draft, but what I have-
seen gives the impression we are working on
parallel lines.”
In May, 1964, a consultation at Logumkloster,
Denmark, sponsored by the Lutheran World
Federation’s Department of World Mission and
devoted to the theme, "The Church and the Jewish
People,” denounced as "especially reprehensible
the notion that Jews, rather than all mankind, are
responsible for the death of Jesus the Christ, and
that God has for this reason rejected His covenant
people."
In October of the same year, a statement ap
proved by the House of Bishops of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the United States at its 6lst
triennial convention said the charge of deicide
against the Jews — a prime incitement to anti-
Jewish persecution during the ages past -- was
"a tragic misunderstanding of the inner signifi
cance of the crucifixion."
BY MARIST FATUERS
Lourdes Visits
Planned For Sick
NUN FOR THE ROAD—A Little Sister of the Assumption
appeared with crash helmet and motor scooter in a “fashion
show'” staged as part of a Vocations Exhibition held in Lon
don with scores of Religious communities taking part. The
“fashion show’’ depicted graphically the updating of some
religious habits and the variety of works engaged in by
priests and nuns. A nun was to have appeared with a trac
tor, but the machine wouldn’t fit into the exhibition hall.
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The airliner lands on feather
Wheel's; as -if knowing the pas
sengers inside’ are special. The
door opens and out steps a young
boy on crutches, an elderly wo
man with a cane, a mother lead
ing her blind daughter...
The procession, continues
with the walking sick, then,
at the end, come those who are
tenderly carried off.
LOURDES, at last, with all
its dreams, hopes, inspiration
and devotion. Lourdes and the
Grotto of Our Lady and the hum
ble area where St. Bernadette
prayed the Rosary with Our
Blessed Mother. Lourdes, a ha
ven for the sick and hopeful
from all over the world.
How did these people, ob
viously Americans by their clo
thes, get to this little town in
the Pyrenees?
The answer to this question
goes back more than 10 years.
John G. Hodgson, K.H.S., pre
sident of the Catholic Travel
Office in Washington, D.C.,
wondered Why nothing had been
done in America about provid
ing the opportunity for the sick
to make a pilgrimage to Lour
des.
Editor Resigns
BALTIMORE (NC)—David B.
Maguire, for the past four and
a half years managing editor of
the Baltimore Catholic Review,
has submitted his resignation
effective July 16.
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MR. HODGSON had been to
I.qiirdes many times before. a,pd
had seen the sick arriving with
national pilgrimages from all
over Europe — but none from
the United States.
In 1956, Mr. Hodgson got his
opportunity to do something
about getting the sick to Lour
des. He organized a pil
grimage and personally ac
companied 70 pilgrims to the
town of Bernadette.
Since then Mr. Hodgson and
Catholic Travel Gtfice have ar
ranged for approximately 800
persons to m ake the pilgrim age.
Mr. Hodgson has been along on
eight of the tours.
In 1958, for the Lourdes Cen
tennial Year, a group known
as the Wheels of Our Lady
came into being. The group
is composed of volunteers from
the police and fire departments
and Catholic lay women who
meet the sick upon arrival in
New York, look after their com
fort at the airport, and help
them to board the plane.
The Catholic Travel Office
complements the trip for a
doctor, nurse, Spiritual Di
rector and a member of the
office, who take care of the
physical and spiritual neces
sities of the pilgrims.
THIS YEAR, the 10th anni
versary of the Sick Pilgrimage,
the group will leave New York
on September 23 and will visit
London and Lourdes before re
turning on October 4. Reve
rend Charles Bedard, a Ma-
rist Father from the Lourdes
Bureau in Boston, will be the
Spiritual Director for the tour.
In Lourdes the pilgrims daily
may participate at Mass, take
the baths, assist in procession
of the Most Blessed Sacrament
and Blessing of the Sick each
afternoon and the Candlelight
Procession in the evening.
Futher information and a
brochure can be obtained by
contacting Rev. Rudolph De-
zlel, S.M., The Marist Fathers
Lourdes Bureau, 698 Beacon
Street, Boston, Massachusetts
02215, or the Catholic Travel
Office, at either Dupont Circle
Building, Washington, D.C.,
20036, or 109 N. Dearborn
Street, Suite 703, Chicago 2,
Illinois, or any Alitalia Air
lines Office.
ABROAD
‘Sit-In’ Debates Provide
Opponents Ammunition
FIRST IN POST — Father
Robert J. Flinn, S.V.D., of
Sharon, Pa., is the first
American to be rector of the
Divine Word College in
Rome. At 36, he is also one
of the youngest ever to head
the institution founded in
1888. He has taught and
worked in several places in
the United States.
Mother Crawford
To Head
Sacred Heart
THE BOARD of Trustees of
Sacred Heart College, Cullman,
Alabama, recently announced
the election of Mother Mary
Frances Crawford, O.S.B., as
its Chairman. Continuing a
traditional practice, Board
members named Mother Mary
Frances to the position of
Chairman after her election as
Prioress of the Benedictine Sis
ters of Sacred Heart Convent in
Cullman in a regular election
earlier in June. The Benedic
tine Community owns, adminis
ters, and staffs Sacred Heart
College.
Mother Mary Frances, a na
tive of Birmingham, attended
elementary school in the city,,
graduated from Sacred Heart
Academy in Cullman, and re
ceived her bachelor’s degree
from die University of Ala
bama and her master’s degree
from St. Louis University in
Missouri. An educator for
more than thirty years, she has
taught in a number of elemen
tary schools in northern Ala
bama and has been principal of
schools in Birmingham and in
Cullman. For the past five
years, she has been a member
of the faculty at John Carroll
High School and has served as
Superior of the Benedictine Sis
ters on the teaching staff in
that school.
Mother General
CINCINNATI (NC) — Mother
Mary Omer Downing was re
elected mother general of the
Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
at the community’s national
chapter.
WASHINGTON (NC)—Public
debate in this country of Unit
ed States foreign policy has pro
duced debate as to whether or
not it is a good thing. Mean
while one thing is obvious; our
enemies abroad are using what
we do and say as ready made
propaganda.
Talk, "teach - ins," rallies,
picketing, demonstrations, and
so forth, have not served to
clear the atmosphere in the U.
S., but have led to subdivisions,
sharp differences of opinion be
tween individuals and groups,
and possibly more confusion,
study of the phenomenon has
shown.
ON THE other hand, those
who oppose us on the inter
national stage pick and choose
from what is said and done in
this country, and pass it on
with their own interpretation to
wide areas and many people.
Radio broadcasts originating
in Hanoi in North Vietnam and
beamed into South Vietnam, and
elsewhere, are a case in point.
Some broadcasts recently mo
nitored in Saigon have become
available here. Persons re
turning from Saigon say they are
familiar with them.
Geneva ’accords.” The Hanoi
radio then confided to listeners
that this senator "was right,"
and threw in the further advice
that "the U.S. administration is
unworthy of the U.S. people."
There is much more to these
broadcasts, a clever co-ming-
ling of parts of news reports
and of Hanoi editorial opinion.
In all of it, of course, the U.S.
gets none the best of it.
The debates and demonstra
tions have been called demo
cracy in action, but Hanoi re
ported them to their listeners
with observations such as these;
"Truth has cast its light on the
U.S. people’s struggle, and
"This is a humiliating politi
cal defeat for the U.S. im
perialists.”
THE AMERICAN people don’t
see these public discussions in
this light at all. But the people
who hear the Hanoi broadcasts
would hardly know this.
Obvious in this situation is
the handicap under which a
true democracy must meet the
propaganda onslaught of coun
tries where both the communi
cations media and the people
are strictly controlled. Because
the U.S. press is free, speeches
and demonstrations here are
known throughout the world
almost as soon as they take
place. How soon, and how often,
would the Free World hear of
any similar activities in a com
munist-controlled country?
Hanoi, for example, is able
to tell the South Vietnamese:
"This struggle (the happenings
in the U.S.) will develop at
the same rate as that of the
increasingly great victories of
our armed forces and people."
Inflammatory embellishments
of this sort can only make it
more difficult for our military
personnel assigned to South
Vietnam.
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A Hanoi broadcast dealing
with the much publicized
"teach-in” in this country and
with demonstrations at some
American universities told lis
teners in Asia that "the anti-
U.S. policy which has shaken
U.S. embassies and agencies in
over 50 countries throughout the
world now is shaking the very
den of the U.S. Imperialists so
violently that Johnson himself
had to admit” it had "reached
a climax.”
THE BROADCAST said many
thousands of "male and fern ale
U.S. citizens" converged on un
iversity stadiums, bringing
blankets and sitting "a whole
day and night" listening to and
"acclaiming orators who pro
tested against the Johnson ad
ministration’s aggressive and
war-seeking policy.”
Hanoi told its listeners that
a good majority of the mem
bers of the U.S. Senate commit
tee. on foreign relations disa-
proved of the Johnson admini
stration's policy, and quoted one
senator as saying "it is the
United States and no other coun
try which has violated the U.
N. Charter and sabotaged the
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