Showing posts with label the Jews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Jews. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

German Papal Advisor: "No Mission to the Jews" --- Good Friday Prayers for the Jews "Problematic"

(Bonn / Rome) The German Fundamental Theologian  Gregor Maria Hoff is the new advisor to Pope Francis on Judaism. Last 20 February he was appointed Advisor of the Pontifical Commission for Religiosu Relations with Jews founded in 1974 by Pope Paul VI.. Hoff is Professor of Fundamental Theology and Ecumenical Theology at the Catholic Theological Faculty of Paris-Lodron University in Salzburg. He already belongs to the Sub-Commission for Religious Relations with Judaism of the German Bishops' Conference. This is  followed by the appointment  to Rome, where he takes the place of the Aachen theologians for Ecumenism, Hans Hermann Henrix. The preliminary discussions, said Hoff in an interview with the Deutsche Welle, had already begun in mid-2013, soon after the election of Pope Francis.
Gregor Maria Hoff Papal Consultor to Judaism
The Commission, which was created in the aftermath of the Conciliar Constitution of Nostra Aetate  in 1965, is concerned among other things, with the preparation of the Pope's trip to the Holy Land. Otherwise the task belongs, says Hoff,   to  the Commission, especially that of drawing "significant documents" that bring "expression to the positions of the church, the pope and the Vatican to Judaism".
One of the topics with which Hoff is concerned as the Fundamental Theologian and now as Pope Consultor, is the question of "whether the evangelization of the Jews may be an issue for the Church." Because, says Hoff apodictically : "The Catholic Church is operating no mission to the Jews." Pope Francis is supposed to have said, says Hoff, in his Apostolic Letter Gospel Gaudium   "emphasizes that God continues to act in the people of the Old Covenant, therefore that God in his covenant first chose the Jewish people of Israel." Other issues facing the theologian and ecumenicist concerns, "Trinity and monotheism."
2015: 50th Anniversary of Nostra Atetate - Francis "Rethinks" Good Friday "Hopefully"
The Roman Commission would have to deal with the  "fifty year anniversary" of Nostra Aetate, which is celebrated in 2015. This conciliar Constitution had "meant a very large incision". Because "since then the relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism have changed dramatically," said Hoff. This applies "especially in Germany," where the relations are  "very good and intense".
During the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI. there were "even irritations", due to the reformulation of the Good Friday prayer for the traditional rite. Hoff holds the new version as "problematic" and "hopes" himself "that he thinks this phrase will be revised again by Pope Francis."  It doesn't mean it's a "real burden" in places.  The relationships were "so good" that one "such irritation can be settled  between us."
The "importance of the State of Israel's existence," because of the "theological significance of the country" imposed "election of the Jewish people" and the "question of the existence of the State of Palestine as well as the human rights issues"... "is a very sensitive matter, which touches part of the theological issues," said Hoff.
Pope to Visit Israel, not the Holy Land
Hoff in his interview with Deutsche Welle never spoke of  a trip of Pope Francis to the "Holy Land", but only about a "trip to Israel." On this trip "to Israel"  it will be shown, which accents the Pope "will set".  "Francis will certainly be good for the Catholic-Jewish relations," assured the German Fundamental Theologian and pope consultant. This would have been previously shown in his "very strong personal relations with the Jewish community in Buenos Aires".
Hoff believes that the Pope would bring in "Israel" a "certain" climate in the talks and will make a "programmatic" statement with the contents: "God continues to act in the people of the Old Covenant." 
Otherwise would the Pope in the Middle East issue take any particular position. He would then only be "lost in the nettles" said Hoff.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Strasbourg Cathedral
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMGD

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Pope Francis to Travel With Rabbi Skorka to the Holy Land on May 2014 -- Skorka Utters Nonsense About the Pope

Edit: basically, it looks like these reports by Jewish leaders, organizations, publications and some Catholic ones, are not credible.

(Rome) Pope Francis is to visit on the Holy Land 25th and 26th May, according to CNN reports, citing Israeli sources. He is not to do it with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as hoped by Constantine Opel, but with his Jewish friend, Rabbi Abraham Skorka. Skorka recently gave an interview about his days as a "personal guest" of the Pope in the guest house Santa Marta and utters some veritable "nonsense" about Pope Francis. Or not?

The visit of the Pope to the Holy Land, was recently confirmed by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Fouad Twal for 2014, without so far announcing an exact date.

To the Holy Land Not with Patriarch Bartholomew, but with Rabbi Skorka

Pope Francis has long been already thinking about a trip to the Holy Land. Originally it was just after his election that he would visit together with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople the holy sites of Jesus. A gesture in memory of the joint meeting in Jerusalem of Pope Paul VI. and Patriarch Athenagoras in 1964. An event that could be found in 2014 to take place exactly fifty years later, so the desire of Constantinople. A sign to make the special closeness between the Roman and Byzantine church could be made visible.

But this idea soon appeared in the background. Instead, Pope Francis looked around for a personal tour guide. He contacted his friend, the Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka, with whom he had worked as Archbishop of Buenos Aires on a conversation book, and invited him to accompany him on his journey to the Holy Land.

Skorka: "The Pope Has Celebrated the Beginning of Shabbat in the Vatican"

Skorka said in an interview for the Jewish monthly Pagine Ebraiche, was completely reproduced in the Osservatore Romano in its issue of 25-26th of November, which he gave, when he met at the Community of Sant'Egidio in Rome, as a "personal guest of Bergolio in Santa Maria":

"We were close for a few days, the three daily meals and have shared other moments both public and private. We talked about everything: about dialogue, but also about the journey that we will do together to Israel [...] Together we have celebrated the beginning of Shabbat, he was by my side when I recited the Kiddush and has broken challah, which Zion Evrony, the Israeli Ambassador, brought to the Holy See. They were unforgettable days and I think that they have a value that goes beyond the affection and confidence that has always connected us."

In the interview, Skorka always speaks of Pope Francis as Bergoglio. Likewise, he does not speak of a trip to the Holy Land, but of a trip to Israel, which is considered another territory in extent and possible destinations and represents a delicate question. In September, the President of the National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has invited the Pope to Palestine. On Monday, Pope Francis will receive Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will in audience.

The Skorka interview is interesting because of the unusually harsh criticism were expressed by the rabbi against the "World rabbbinate  in all its parts," which in his opinion "is going through a deep and destructive crisis"  both in "Israel" as well as "in all communities of the Diaspora."

  Skorka sees "Ideal Judaism" According to Rabbi Heschel, Who Worked on Nostra Aetate

 "The Church is in crisis, we are in a crisis," said Skorka who sees the "model of the ideal Judaism" which is "according to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel." Heschel, born in 1907 in Warsaw and died in New York in 1972, who together with the German Cardinal Augustin Bea, was instrumental in the "Jewish declaration" of the Second Vatican Council in the Declaration Nostra Aetate concerned with the relationship of the Church to non-Christian religions. In 1971 he was called by Pope Paul VI. and received in audience.

Most Important Signal of this Pontificate? "The Rejection of Proselytism"

However, as Skorka draws a parallel between his proposals for a reform of Judaism and those of Pope Francis for the Catholic Church, the rabbi responds to the question about the new pope's "important signal": "I see great value in Bergoglio's comments against proselytism. It is a point on which he insists with a special emphasis and gets even more weight when we think of the evangelizing framework within which these statements were made."

Pope Francis wants to Only Introduce More Catholics to Faith"?

 Skorka has in an interview then that one must remember how evangelization was until recently connected inseparably with proselytism:

"But now, the Pope speaks of it only to introduce Catholics to the faith."

The rabbi emphasizes in an interview several times that Pope Francis rejects "proselytism". However, as the Vatican expert Sandro Magister draws attention, something is wrong in the end quite complete, when Skorka concludes with the statement: "Now, however, the Pope speaks of it to introduce only the Catholics to the faith."

L'Osservatore Romano Printed the "Nonsense" Without Batting an Eyelash?

"Only the Catholics?" Asks Sandro Magister. "The Osservatore Romano reprinted the interview without batting an eyelash. But how could Pope Francis ever say such nonsense?" asks the Vatican expert.

Overall, it is striking that since this pope took office Jewish representatives are often at the Vatican in and out. With the Skorka interview, who says he is reproducing a statement of Pope Francis, is in the last three months already the third controversial statement that was made ​​public after a meeting with the Pope by Jewish representatives (see the report What has Pope Francis really say as chairman of the World Jewish Congress - Violent polemics in Poland and the report Pope Francis Condemns Catholic protest against syncretistic "commemorative liturgy" in Buenos Aires A riddle? .

Text: Settimo Cielo / Giuseppe Nardi
 image: Settimo Cielo
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
AMGD

Friday, October 4, 2013

Commemoration Mass for Pope Pius XII in St. Peter's -- When Will the Canonization Process Proceed?

(Vatican) On the 12th of October Maria Jose Cardinal Saraiva will celebrate Holy Mass in memory of Pope Pius XII. Holy in St. Peter's Basilica. Four years ago, Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the Venerable Servant of God. When will the beatification process continue? The Church also has a question of political developments, such as the miracleless canonization of Pope John XXIII Council. points to the timely commemoration of 50 years of the Second Vatican Council.

On the 9th of October 1958, he died 55 years ago, the last Preconciliar Pope, as the Pastor Angelicus was called. On the 18th of October in 1967, nine years after his death and the death of his successor in the Chair of Peter, Pope John XXIII., the process of beatification and canonization of Pius XII was opened at the diocesan level.

On the 19th of December 2009, the second phase of the process involved numerous delays and political interventions reached its conclusion with the elevation of the deceased to the rank of Venerable Servant of God. Pope Benedict XVI., who wanted to advance the beatification, but then ordered a re-examination of the entire archived material under Jewish pressure, signed a decree in the fifth year of his pontificate, which recognized Pope Pius XII's heroic virtues.

The method has been overshadowed since the 60s by artificially nourished doubts about the alleged "silence" of the Pope against the Nazi persecution of the Jews. "Criticism, which was vociferously supported by an equally progressive, hypocritical faction within the Catholic Church," said Messa in Latino.

Hochhuth's silence about the background to the idea of ​​"The Deputy"

The starting point of a defamation campaign against Pius XII. was first performed in the 1963 play The Deputy by Rolf Hochhuth. Because of persistent silence, Hochhuth is still unclear how exactly he came to his theses. The assertion that the Pope was standing by watching the Nazi extermination of the Jews, comes from the propaganda of the Soviet Intelligence Service and came from the Soviet controlled East German Republic to the Federal Republic of Germany. What connection is there between the starting point of Hochhuth and Moscow, however, has not yet been clarified. The play, translated into several languages, has created the image of the late Pope influenced lasting until today.

The systematic scientific study of the pontificate of Pius XII. has refuted the accusation. Instead, it brought a new set of documents to light of the personal intervention of the Pope to the rescue of Jews. The Israeli historian Gary Krupp came to the conclusion that Pius XII. during the Second World War "did everything in his power to protect and defend the Jews." According to Krupp's archival research, Pius XII. saved more Jews than all the leaders of the world. "And this from a city under siege, and not from a comfortable chair in London or Washington." wrote Krupp, who has compiled 76,000 pages of original documents in support of his thesis.

Contribution of historians to relax in relation to Israel Pius XII.

The relationship between Israel and the figure of Pius XII. has now eased considerably. Not least was this helped by Benedict XVI. with the order for an investigation. On the German side, Hochhuts publicity legend for a "silent" Pope in the face of mass murder is contradicted especially by Michael Hesemann. According to Hesemann the Pope alone rescued more than 11,000 Jews in Rome during the life of the war. Among them was the former Chief Rabbi of Rome, Eugenio Zolli (born in Israel as Anton Zoller), who had himself baptized after the war and was received into the Catholic Church. Hesemann relies on some of it in the archives of the documents of the German national church in Rome.

Also, the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem in Israel changed the caption for Pius XII., a first step towards rehabilitation of the Pope to the Jewish people. When the beatification process will be resumed, however, is unclear. The question is the subject of a fierce struggle between various currents within the Church. Church policy issues may have a significant influence on the beatification and canonization process sometimes. The canonization of Pope Pius IX., the Syllabus Pope, became possible when John Paul II in the Holy Year 2000, also beatified Pope John XXIII.

Political Church Circles in Beatification and Canonization from Pius IX. to John Paul II

The same is taking place currently on the 27th of April, 2014 with the canonization of John Paul II. His canonization should be "neutralized" in Church politics by the simultaneous canonization of John XXIII. Although the council Pope no regular canonization process came to a conclusion. The "completion" of the canonization of the Polish Pope, who was rejected by a part of the Church is, from both sides "satisfactory" and prevents, that the raising to the altars could be construed as a statement of the direction for the Church and the current pontificate.

The canonization of John XXIII. without the recognized second miracle opened a vulnerable flank for the Church, which at the present, however, does not matter because of the role media popularity plays for Pope Francis.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
 Image: Venite ad me
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMGD

Link katholisches...

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Pope Benedict May Have Something Better for SSPX: Bishop Williamson "Lashes" out at Jews

Edit: The Pope may have something even "better" in store for the Society in this round of deliberations over the Preamble, despite misgivings on the part of Bishop Fellay about the course of this.

Meanwhile, Bishop Williamson is in the Jewish press with his recent Eleison Comments, which are really non-controversial.
 
 
A report on the conference given by H.E. Bernard Fellay SSPX in Our Lady of Victories Church, Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila on October 16, 2011



I attended Pontifical Mass from the throne (two assistant deacons and all) in the SSPX church in Metro Manila on the morning of October 16. The Mass was offered by Bishop Fellay and he was assisted by the District Superiors for Asia and for France. The church was packed to overflowing thanks to the presence of delegates from the SSPX-guided Praesidia of the Legion of Mary from all over the Philippines. (This is not to say that the church is not full on ordinary Sundays.)
 

During his sermon for the Mass, Bishop Fellay focused mostly on the need to trust in God, and the fact that the Lord who performed the miracle described in the gospel for that Sunday (the forgiving of sins and healing of the man sick with palsy) is the same Lord who is in the tabernacle. He has lost none of His power, and therefore we must have recourse to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament with complete trust. He also related the following story from Lourdes, which according to the bishop took place a few years back: there was this little girl who was very ill, and who had gone to Lourdes in the hope of being healed. She stood in line to be blessed with the Blessed Sacrament, as is the practice in that shrine. However, when the priest blessed her with the Blessed Sacrament, nothing happened to her. She then pointed to the Blessed Sacrament (which by then had been brought over to another person) and said, "I'll tell this to Your Mother!". At that instant, she was healed! The bishop did not neglect to speak about the need to pray the rosary and to have trusting recourse to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. In the course of this he remarked that the crisis in the Church was so great that, humanly speaking, it can't be raised up, and only divine intervention can do so.


After the Pontifical Mass, the bishop gave an hour-long conference (open to the public) on the state of the relationship between the Vatican and the SSPX.

From Rorate Caeli...

Wednesday, August 31, 2011