Benedict XVI on Jews

wprawo.pl 8 months ago

When the final solution to the Palestinian issue takes place, a female studying medicine in Warsaw is thrown out for her studies, anti-Jewish demonstrations are held throughout Europe, it is worth remembering what Benedict XVI taught about Jews and Judaism.

A reminder of the teaching of our German pope on the judaic issue allows, published by the AA publication, the work of the priest prof. Waldemar Chrostowski "Jews and Judaism in the teaching of Benedict XVI". In this work, an outstanding student and student of Judaism gathered all authoritative statements by Benedict XVI on the relation of Christianity and Judaism (from erstwhile Cardinal Ratzinger was Pope).

As can be learned from the article “Jews and Judaism in the Teaching of Benedict XVI” published in the Collectanea Theologica 76/2, by the priest prof. Waldemar Chrostowski, the pope was far from “considering Nazism as a continuation or a specified consequence of the anti-Jewish attitudes of Christians and Christian teaching, as many judaic and, unfortunately, any Christian participants of dialogue.”

Benedict XVI believed that in the dialog between Judaism and Christianity, “honesty requires that we [...] do not overlook the differences between us, and that we must respect each another and love besides what distinguishes us from each another due to our deepest spiritual beliefs.” According to prof. Chrostowski, "the real success is, on the another hand, a close-up which respects what we are different about." “This is the better way to usage everything we have in common erstwhile we know and respect what divides us. The model of dialog outlined by Benedict XVI is clear: the starting point and the condition for the success of bilateral contacts is common respect for the identity of partners."

In his article on the teaching of Benedict XVI on Jews, prof. Chrostowski pointed out the privileged treatment of Jews “in countries inhabited by the Christian majority” and that Jews dominant in Israel should, on a reciprocal basis, defend the rights of “Christians in the Holy Land, in the territory of Israel of the Palestinian Authority, where Jews are the majority and it is up to them to decide the form of common relations”.

According to Fr Chrostowski, “the legitimate request to respect “the rights of spiritual minorities, including Christians, must be stressed to the same degree that the followers of Judaism request akin rights for themselves. This includes securing the integrity and position of holy places."