Keeler on Catholic-Jewish relations
As he steps down as moderator of Jewish affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal William Keeler has some advice for his successor: Keep your ears open.
“I saw this most recently on a conference call that we had with Jewish and Catholic leaders on the document “Covenant and Mission,” he tells The Baltimore Jewish Times. The statement by the bishops’ Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs initially characterized interfaith exchange with Jews as an opportunity to proselytize the Jews.
“We agreed that we would change the two sentences from that which were a concern” Keeler tells the Jewish Times. “Put that into historical context and I just have to say that the relationships are superb and that we are making progress all the time.”
Keeler says he told Pope Benedict XVI that Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York was “the ideal person” to succeed him. He also discusses his appreciation of his faith’s Jewish roots:
I say the Psalms every day and I’m very conscious of their Hebrew authorship. I also think of the Church’s document on the Hebrew Scriptures that was prepared by the present pope and the introduction that he wrote for it is important and something that we live by.I read every day from this book, “The Liturgy of the Hours,” as all priests are supposed to do. We read Psalms. Not all of them. There are a few that are so angry that they are omitted from the office, which is what we call the book — “The Divine Office of The Office Of Prayer.” It’s a marvelous source. Right now we’re reading from the Second Book of Maccabees.
Comments
Well the church could have a lot of luck converting the ultra-orthodox Hareidm in Israel.
Some of those people have called gay people "worse then bird flu"
A call for the murder of gay people - the same people who shared hitlers ovens with the close relatives of those ultra-orthodox Jews. And of course in the USA the catholic church has been the bastion of anti gay hatred and denigration for only God knows how long.
Shows you just how sick conservative religion can be. Hitler was a catholic, as is much of Germany. That helps explain the holocaust.
But nothing explains Jewish Nazis - the ultra-orthodox. If you think the Arabs are bad news, well they have lots of company.
Which is a simple example of what religion does to some peoples minds, as they read texts from the beginning of history, where ignorance reigned supreme, and the power all rested in the hands of the religious or should we say superstition leaders - you be the judge..
And is still supreme in some quarters. I was Jewish. But with the result of the Ultra-orthodox statement - the murder of 2 and wounding of 10 in the Tel Aviv Jewish Community center last July, And threats of worse violence from the Hareidim. No wonder I refused to go to Israel with my wife. And I am no longer Jewish. As is my daughter - UU, and my younger son - aethist.
For my son points out that the catholic belief that "God gave man "free will", is just an excuse to justify God while looking at the endless horrors of mankinds history. Or my son and I ask, is "free will" just another mealy mouthed statement designed to make excuses for a non existant God.
Tomorrow we are having an early thanksgiving for a couple of our gay friends. Since they are shortly going to get married where it is permitted, I am going to offer one of them my late Father's wedding ring to have for the ceremony, and till death do they part.
And if my parents were alive today, they would understand and approve of it.
Posted by: Stev Kay | November 19, 2009 3:50 AM