Church in the World

Jews suspend dialogue with Church

Austria

The Austrian Jewish community has suspended all official dialogue with the Catholic Church in the aftermath of the publication of a new Good Friday prayer for the Jews for use in the Tridentine Rite, writes Christa Pongratz-Lippitt. In a statement issued on 17 April Austria's Jewish Cultural Community said it was "deeply dismayed" by Pope Benedict's decision to re-allow the Tridentine Good Friday liturgy. A new prayer published in February for use within it expresses the hope that Jews "may recognise Jesus Christ as the Saviour of all". The statement said "high-ranking Catholic Church representatives are again emphasising that missionising the Jews is a natural mandate for the Church". Judaism, "unlike the Catholic Church", rejected all forms of missionising, the statement said. Therefore the Austrian Jewish community now saw itself compelled to follow the example of its counterparts in Italy and Germany, and suspend  official relations with the Catholic Church.

Chief Rabbi Paul Chaim Eisenberg said that in the revised version of the Good Friday Prayer Judaism was regarded as a second-class faith and the aim of the prayer was that Jews might come to "see the Redeemer". "That is something the Pope may wish for in his heart but it should not be put into words in a liturgy," Rabbi Eisenberg said on Austrian television.

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