The essay on Christian-Jewish relations by Pope Emeritus Benedict that was published in Communio magazine last month has continued to provoke the anger of Jewish leaders.
Headlined “Grace and Vocation without Remorse”, the essay argued that the current rejection of the so-called substitution or replacement theory, which holds that the Church replaces Israel’s salvific role, needs more consideration. The Societies for Christian-Jewish Cooperation in Germany have already expressed “extreme irritation” and “fierce condemnation”, with regard to some of the views in the essay.
Now, in an official letter dated 3 August, the German Orthodox Rabbis’ Conference has asked the president of the pontifical commission for relations with the Jews, Cardinal Kurt Koch, to explain how Pope Emeritus Benedict’s Communio essay was supposed to enrich Jewish-Christian dialogue, and how far it is consistent with Pope Francis’ views on Judaism.
Koch persuaded Benedict to have the essay published.
The Rabbis’ Conference says it is concerned less with the individual points Benedict discusses but with the “pivotal question” of whether the Church appreciates today’s Judaism. “Benedict leaves little room for ... a dialogue based on such an appreciation,” they say.
The letter particularly criticises Benedict’s conclusion that “a theological interpretation of the state of Israel which relates [its] foundation to the biblical Promised Land is not possible according to Christian understanding”. Although Benedict “in no way” denies Israel’s right to exist, he does give the impression “that it is more or less a coincidence that the state of Israel finds itself where it is territorially today”, the letter concludes.
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