“Secularization, a slacking of faith . . . was Ratzinger perhaps under siege?” the Italian newspaper Il Giorno asked Rome’s chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni. The rabbi answered:
This Pope has never given in on anything, I don’t believe in a possible surrender, as someone says. Secularization, moreover, is an ancient issue; don’t you think the Papacy had an even harder time during Risorgimento’s secularized Italy? In case, it was more internal inconsistency and compromises that must have concerned him.
Asked about his wishes for the conclave, Di Segni answered,
The key issues to us are: survival and world impact. We rejoice that at a time when radical Islam is thriving, the Church is amicable. Luckily Providence created an awkward alternation through the centuries. . . . World impact means creativity, realizing that our push to modernity is a positive drive. Hence, [we welcome] a non-hostile Pope that favours an in-progress alliance with us.
He speaks well of Benedict and his relation to Jews, a “clear relationship” in which the pope “emphasized [Christianity's] continuity with Judaism.” But, said the newspaper, Benedict’s “dialogue with Jews did not look so brilliant when he stated that dialogue was a fuction of evangelization.” Di Segni replied:
You see, I still have to find a Christian on earth, who does not think it is bizarre that Jews do not yet believe in Jesus Christ. The issue then is what they do with this diagnosis, if then they think that these “perfidi Giudei” urgently need to be converted, or else if the matter will one day be solved in its eschatological dimension. Mutual respect is actually what is needed. . . . Benedict XVI presented it to us, even more.
It’s hard to know exactly what he said, this being a translation, but very many Christians, including Benedict, don’t think it “bizarre” or even difficult to understand why Jews do not become Christians. We haven’t exactly made the most winsome appeal through history. But that aside, it is an interesting and encouraging interview.
March 4th, 2013 | 1:19 pm
There is nothing suspicious about Benedicit Pope Emeritus’ resignation. That type of discussion should be set aside and I applaud the Rabbi for his rational statement.
At to why there are no Christians who cannot understand the fact that the Jews refused Christ as the Messiah, we have an answer. It is in the plan of God, according to St. Paul. Therefore, and for other reasons, we respect the Jewish people and as our older brothers in the Faith in ancient times.
That they accept the Father, but not the Son is partly our own fault, is it not?
BTW, direct line of Jewish ancestors on my mother’s side….and family lost between and during the wars.
March 4th, 2013 | 1:40 pm
>I still have to find a Christian on earth, who does
>not think it is bizarre that Jews do not yet
>believe in Jesus Christ ….
That is an interesting issue because — if I may read between the lines just a touch — such a Christian would have to simultaneously believe that the Hebrew Bible speaks of Christ, that Jews are genuinely devoted to the Hebrew Bible and truly trust in God, but that it’s still perfectly understandable that they don’t believe in Christ.
Something similar to Dispensationalism sounds like the ticket.
March 4th, 2013 | 2:57 pm
“We rejoice that at a time when radical Islam is thriving, the Church is amicable. Luckily Providence created an awkward alternation through the centuries…”
Ah, the myth of the Golden Age of Spain raises its head once again.
The only time Islam has been amicable to the Jews is when Muslims were not living as faithful Muslims.
March 4th, 2013 | 6:39 pm
Jews remain Jews because God has made Jews a chosen people. Not because of the Christianity’s lack of appeal.
March 4th, 2013 | 9:15 pm
I do not find a problem that the Jewish faith and culture remain with us. As noted above, they were and are God’s chosen people. At the same time, Christianity is historically a direct offshoot of the Judaism of Imperial Rome making current Jews, in the current words of the Catholic Church, our elder brothers and, hence, deserving of our respect. After all, Jesus, all twelve of his apostles, his mother Mary, even Saul renamed Paul, and many other early Christians were all Jews.
March 4th, 2013 | 11:01 pm
I do not think Jews pose any special problem. You could ask why Hindus remain Hindus.
March 5th, 2013 | 11:46 am
Hindus are quite beside the issue. Jesus came to the Jews as the Messiah. The Jews were waiting for a Messiah, but they didn’t accept that Jesus was the one they were waiting for : Mt.21:43; Jn.1:11; Ro.10. In this context “bizarre” is a lot more emollient than “perverse”.
The original interview is here
http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/interni/quel-pontefice-poco-mediatico-che-ha-parlato-chiaro-agli-890780.html
The English translation of “Rispetto reciproco… Benedetto XVI ce ne ha dato, e anche di più” was slightly muted, but the bizarrerie comment itself [devo ancora trovare al mondo un cristiano che non pensi che sia bizzarro che gli ebrei non credano in Gesù Cristo] was adequately done.
March 10th, 2013 | 4:01 pm
The alternation the rabbi mentioned is indicated, for example, by the Ottoman sultan welcoming Jews who were expelled from Catholic Spain.
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