Local News
April 25, 2008
Meeting A Pope: Gunther Lawrence’s Journey
Gunther Lawrence
Special to the Jewish Times
During his trip to the United States last week, Pope Benedict XVI held a brief meeting with Jewish representatives after the larger session with interreligious leaders to offer Passover wishes saying that the cooperation between both faiths will continue. I was fortunate enough to be present and offer this first-person reflection.
The Pope, who urges the “spirit of openness” whenever issues arise, met with the religious leaders at the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. His words were direct and poignant.
“I wish to reaffirm the Second Vatican Council’s teaching on Catholic-Jewish relations and reiterate the Church’s commitment to the dialogue that in the past forty years has fundamentally changed our relationship for the better” he said. “In addition to working together to alleviate the suffering of millions of our brothers and sisters, we must also cooperate in achieving world peace, especially in the Middle East and the Holy Land.”
Jewish leaders present seemed pleased with the Pope’s warm out reach to them, shaking hands and brief exchanges. This special Passover meeting of about 20 minutes drew criticism from Muslim, Hindu and other participants as the main gathering was a session with interreligious dialogue representatives.
After the Pope’s message to the interreligious gathering, leaders were presented to him from the various faiths that engage in these dialogues both with the Vatican and through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Judaism was represented by David Jonathan Michels, Director for Intercommunal Affairs, B’Nai Brith International Center for Human Rights and Public Policy, who presented the Pope with a silver menorah; Rabbi Gilbert S. Rosenthal, Executive Director, National Council of Synagogues; Rabbi Joel Meyers, Executive Vice President, The Rabbinical Assembly and Rabbi D. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive Vice President, Orthodox Union (and former spiritual leader of Shomrei Emunah Congregation in Baltimore).
Rabbi Meyers was encouraged by the encounter. “I believe that this Pope will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, John Paul II,” he remarked. “While there will be differences from time to time, we can discuss them in open, candid dialogue as friends.”
Rabbi Jack Bemporad of the Center for Interreligious Understanding described the Pope as a “timid, shy, scholar. I was delighted at his warmth towards everyone not only to us but at all of the various events.: However, he emphasized, “These nice words are most welcome but we must engage in serious theological dialogues to confront some of issues that concern us.”
This includes, he said, the Good Friday Prayer, of which one version calls for the conversion of Jews. To the concern of Jews and some others, the rules for saying it have been changed in the past year.
One concern I had is that at the meeting those Jewish interreligious representatives present were mostly “old timers,” dialogue veterans who have been engaged in these efforts for many years. Many are steeped in Holocaust memories that too often, jump at Vatican statements without first trying to obtain explanations and exchange grievances through candid conversations.
The time has come to bring “new blood” into these conversations and to educate our younger Jewish members, especially those on the college campuses where interreligious contacts are maintained on a daily basis. I have emphasized these views in my new book, “The Business of Being A Jew.” ( http://www.amazon.com/Business-Being-Jew-Gunther-Lawrence/dp/1889534773/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208897681&sr=1-4)
Most importantly, Jewish organizations must begin to place interereligious activities involving social action, education and social contacts on a higher priority than at present. All of the issues facing us today can be dealt with much better through interreligious cooperation and action.
Gunther Lawrence, a veteran of the Jewish-Catholic dialogue, is the author of the recently published “The Business of Being A Jew: Behind the scenes with Pope John Paul II, the importance of Woman Rabbis, challenges of Intermarriage and the future of American Judaism. (Jay Street Publishers)