Pope Benedict XVI and the Jews: a relationship under suspicion?

Abstract The article deals with the question of whether the view that Benedict's relationship with the Jews needs to be regarded with suspicion is justified. Ratzinger's respective theology is scrutinized. Special attention is given to the contested Good Friday prayer for Jews as well as to the attempt at re-integrating the priests of the Pius X priest community. It cannot be denied that there is suspicion and ambiguity. In Benedict's view the fact that Israel is the foundation of Christian faith has been overshadowed. This firm belief has been expressed in Benedict's book on Jesus of Nazareth, during his visit to Israel in May 2009, and also during his address to the Jewish community in Rome in January 2010. The latter event is of particular importance. Benedict's address of 17 January 2010 can be seen as a central hermeneutical point of reference to understand Benedict's relationship with Judaism and the Jews. It is in the light of this point of reference that moments of suspicion can be counteracted. This does not mean, however, that Catholic–Jewish relations have been without irritations and tensions. But there is space for a constructive way of dealing with these frictions. Keywords: Pope Benedict XVICatholic–Jewish relationstheological perspectivesgesturessymbols and texts Notes 1. Hans Küng, ‘An Open Letter to the Catholic Bishops of the World’, The Irish Times, April 16, 2010. 2. Michael Wolffsohn, ‘Der interreligiöse Scherbenhaufen des Papstes – 16. April 2010’, http://www.welt.de/kultur/article7208568/Der-interreligioese-Scherbenhaufen-des-Papstes.html. 3. Otto Kallscheuer, ‘Verpasste Augenblicke. Das Pontifikat von Benedikt XVI. – eine kritische Bilanz nach fünf Jahren’, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, April 10, 2010, also http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/kultur/aktuell/verpasste_augenblicke_1.5411336.html; Interview with Leonardo Boff, ‘Es mangelt ihm an allem’, http://www.sueddeutsche.de/,tt2m1/politik/708/508848/text/; Matthias Drobinski, ‘Papst Benedikt XVI. fünf Jahre im Amt: Nicht von dieser Welt’, Süddeutsche Zeitung, April 19, 2010, also http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/753/508892/text/. As an example of a positive view of the relationship to Judaism, see Martin Mosebach, ‘Der richtige Papst. Nur Benedikt XVI. kann die Kirche noch retten’, http://www.welt.de/kultur/literarischewelt/article7245392/Nur-Benedikt-XVI-kann-die-Kirche-noch-retten.html. 4. Rabbi Jacob Neusner, for example, reported this about correspondence with Cardinal Ratzinger since 1990, see ‘Jews Welcome Choice of Pope’, http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id = 14013. After their respective stays in Rome, Michael Signer and Michael Wyschogrod reported on their visits to Cardinal Ratzinger that they requested at short notice and to which the cardinal was always said to be open. 5. See David Rosen, ‘Pope Benedict XVI and Catholic–Jewish Relations’, http://www.rabbidavidrosen.net/Articles/Christian-Jewish%20Relations/Pope%20Benedict%20XVI%20and%20Catholic%20Jewish%20Relations%20Dec%202007.doc. 6. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, ‘Die Vielfalt der Religionen und der Eine Bund’ (Urfelder Reihe 1) (Hagen: Urfelder Verlag, 1998) (English edition: ‘Many Religions – One Covenant: Israel, the Church and the World’, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1999). 7. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, ‘Die Vielfalt der Religionen und der Eine Bund’ (Urfelder Reihe 1), Hagen, 1998 (English edition: ‘Many Religions – One Covenant: Israel, the Church and the World’, San Francisco, 1999) (‘Die Vielfalt der Religionen’) 15. 8. See the article ‘Israel, die Kirche und die Welt. Ihre Beziehung und ihr Auftrag nach dem “Katechismus der Katholischen Kirche” von 1992’, in Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, ‘Die Vielfalt der Religionen und der Eine Bund’ (Urfelder Reihe 1), Hagen, 1998 (English edition: ‘Many Religions – One Covenant: Israel, the Church and the World’, San Francisco, 1999) (‘Die Vielfalt der Religionen’) 17–45 and 129f, see p. 18. 9. The Pontifical Biblical Commission, ‘The Jewish People and their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible’, May 24, 2001, especially no. 22, http://www.vatican.va/ roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/pcb_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20020212_popolo-ebraico_en.html. For a discussion of this document, see Christoph Dohmen, ed., ‘Eingebunden in das Volk Gottes. Blickpunkte zum Dokument “Das jüdische Volk und seine Heilige Schrift in der christlichen Bibel”’ (Stuttgart: Katholisches Bibelwerk, 2003). 10. Rosen, ‘Pope Benedict XVI and Catholic–Jewish Relations’. 11. Benedict XVI, ‘Address to a Delegation of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations’, June 9, 2005, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/ benedict_xvi/speeches/2005/june/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20050609_jewish-committee_en.html. 12. Benedict XVI, ‘Address in the Synagogue of Cologne’, August 19, 2005, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2005/august/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20050819_cologne-synagogue_en.html. 13. See Aachener Nachrichten, no. 193, Saturday August 20, 2005, p. 1. 14. Benedict XVI, ‘Address at the visit to the Auschwitz Camp’, May 28, 2006, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/may/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060528_auschwitz-birkenau_en.html; Benedikt XVI, ‘Wo war Gott? Die Rede in Auschwitz’, with articles by Elie Wiesel, Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, Johannes Baptist Metz (Freiburg: Herder, 2006), 9. 15. See Richard Chaim Schneider, ‘Der Papst und die Juden’ as ARD television programme on August 29, 2007. 16. Carsten Lissmann, ‘Euer Papst’, May 29, 2006, http://www.zeit.de/online/ 2006/22/papst-in-polen. 17. Benedict XVI, ‘Address at the visit to the Auschwitz Camp’. 18. John T. Pawlikowski, ‘Pope Benedict XVI on Jews and Judaism: Retreat or Reaffirmation’, http://www.jcrelations.net/en/?item = 3089. For an analysis and appreciation from a different perspective, see Karl-Heinz Menke, ‘Die “älteren Brüder und Schwestern”. Zur Theologie des Judentums bei Joseph Ratzinger’: IkaZ Communio 38 (2009): 191–205. 19. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, Jesus von Nazareth. Erster Teil von der Taufe im Jordan bis zur Verklärung (Freiburg: Herder, 2007); see the conversation with J. Neusner, ‘Ein Rabbi spricht mit Jesus. Ein jüdisch-christlicher Dialog’ (München: Claudius, 1997), esp. 131–60. English version, Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration, trans. Adrian J. Walker (New York: Doubleday, 2007); the book includes the Pope's discussion with Jacob Neusner and his book, A Rabbi Talks with Jesus (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2000). 20. Joseph Klausner, Jesus von Nazareth. seine Zeit, sein Leben und seine Lehre, authorized translation from the Hebrew by Dr. Walter Fischel (Berlin: Jüdischer Verlag, 1930 and 1934) and by the same author, Von Jesus zu Paulus, translated from the Hebrew in collaboration with the author by Friedrich Thieberger (Jerusalem: Jewish Publishing, 1950, Nachdruck Königstein: Jüdischer Verlag, 1980). 21. Franz Mußner, Traktat über die Juden (München: Kösel, 1979; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2009), 338 and 341. 22. Jacob Neusner, Jesus von Nazareth, 169f. (page references from Neusner's book given in the text). 23. Compare also ibid., 10, 31f, 70f, p.173. 24. Rainer Kampling, ‘Jede Kontroverse um des Himmels willen trägt bleibende Früchte’ (Pirke Avot 5,19), in Thomas Söding, ed., Das Jesus-Buch des Papstes. Die Antwort der Neutestamentler (Freiburg: Herder, 2007), 68. 25. See the commentary by Hubert Frankemölle, ‘Matthäus: Kommentar 1 und 2’ (Düsseldorf: Patmos, 1994 and 1997 (especially 1: 34–76)); Peter Fiedler, Das Matthäusevangelium (Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2006), 19–36; and Rupert Feneberg, Die Erwählung Israels und die Gemeinde Jesu Christi. Biographie und Theologie Jesu im Matthäusevangelium (Freiburg: Herder, 2009), 11–95. 26. Feneberg, Die Erwählung, 173. 27. Frankemölle, ‘Matthäus: Kommentar 1 und 2’, 1, 226f. Cf. Fiedler, Das Matthäusevangelium, 130f.: ‘Anstatt dass Jesus “sein Wort dem Bibelwort gegenüberstellt”, unterstreicht er im Sinn des Mt in Entsprechung zu 5,17–19 die Verbindlichkeit des Wortes Gottes…: Jesus gibt seiner Schülerschaft Weisung für die Gestaltung eines der Tora gemäßen Lebens.’ 28. Further references for this in Achim Buckenmaier, ‘Jesus – die Tora in Person. Anmerkungen zum, Gespräch’ zwischen Jacob Neusner und Joseph Ratzinger', in Annäherungen an “Jesus von Nazareth”. Das Buch des Papstes in der Diskussion, ed. Jan-Heiner Tück (Ostfildern: Matthias Grünewald, 2007), 83f. 29. See Gerd Theissen and Dagmar Winter, Die Kriterienfrage in der Jesusforschung. Vom Differenzkriterium zum Plausibilitätskriterium (Göttingen: Universitätsverlag 1997). 30. Michael Theobald, ‘Die vier Evangelien und der eine Jesus von Nazareth. Erwägungen zum Jesus-Buch von Joseph Ratzinger/Benedikt XVI’, Theologische Quartalschrift 187 (2007): 171. 31. Michael Theobald, ‘Die vier Evangelien und der eine Jesus von Nazareth. Erwägungen zum Jesus-Buch von Joseph Ratzinger/Benedikt XVI’, Theologische Quartalschrift, 172 (with reference to the rejection of the substitution theory in the Pope's book, 95). 32. Pawlikowski, ‘Pope Benedict XVI on Jews and Judaism’. 33. Werner Löser, Jesus – der neue Mose, Zwölf Annäherungen an das Jesusbuch von Papst Benedikt XVI, Theologie und Philosophie 82 (2007): 382–391, 389 sees ‘the key category of the whole Jesus Book in Jesus’ destiny ‘as the new Moses’. 34. More on this in Hans Hermann Henrix, ‘The Son of God became Human as a Jew: Implications of the Jewishness of Jesus for Christology’, in Christ Jesus and the Jewish People Today, ed. Mary Boys et al. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, in preparation). 35. See, in the German edition, pp. 87, 95, 153, 190. 36. See Angela Standhartinger, ‘Der Papst und der Rabbi. Anmerkungen zum christlich-jüdischen Dialog im Jesusbuch von Benedikt XVI’, in Söding, ed., Das Jesus-Buch, 150f. 37. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, ‘Das Erbe Abrahams’, Heute in Kirche und Welt 1, no. 2 (2001): 1f. 38. David van Biema speaks of the ‘mixed messages’ in his relationship to the Jews: ‘Pope Benedict on the Question of Judaism’, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ article/0,9171,1896735,00.html. 39. Quoted according to http://www.ccjr.us/dialogika-resources/documents-and-statements/roman-catholic/pope-benedict-xvi/425-b1608feb5. 40. Particular emphasis is on the article by Cardinal Walter Kasper ‘Das Wann und Wie entscheidet Gott’, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, no. 68, Thursday March 20, 2008, Seite 39. Quotations in the following according to the English version: ‘Striving for Mutual Respect in Modes of Prayer’, http://www.ccjr.us/dialogika-resources/documents-and-statements/roman-catholic/kasper/651-kasper08apr16. 41. See the anthology Walter Homolka and Erich Zenger, eds., “… damit sie Jesus Christus erkennen”. Die neue Karfreitagsfürbitte für die Juden (Freiburg: Herder, 2008) in addition to Hans Hermann Henrix, ‘The Controversy Surrounding the 2008 Good Friday Prayer in Europe: The Discussion and its Theological Implications’, Studies on Christian-Jewish Relations 3, no. 1 (2008), http://escholarship.bc.edu/scjr/ vol3/iss1/24; Thomas Fornet-Ponse, ‘Die “neue Karfreitagsfürbitte” für die Juden. Nüchterner Realismus oder enttäuschter Optimismus?’, Freiburger Rundbrief NF 16 (2009): 93–104. 42. According to e.g. Hans Hermann Henrix, ‘Bewahrung jüdischer Treue zum Bund und Liebe zum göttlichen Namen. Zum kirchlichen “Hauptgebet” und zur Karfreitagsfürbitte 2008’, in Homolka and Zenger, “… damit sie Jesus Christus erkennen”, 134–48. 43. Quoted: http://www.ccjr.us/dialogika-resources/documents-and-statements/roman-catholic/pope-benedict-xvi/425-b1608feb5. 44. Cardinal Kasper, ‘Striving for Mutual Respect’. 45. Cardinal Kasper, ‘Striving for Mutual Respect’ 46. Letter by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (to Mr Oded Wiener, Director-General of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel) in Response to Concerns on the revised Good Friday prayer, http://www.sidic.org/en/docOnLineView.asp?class = Doc00604. 47. Communiqué by the Secretariat of State Following the Publication of the New Prayer for the Jews: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/2008/documents/rc_seg-st_20080404_oremus-pro-iudaeis_en.html. 48. See the wording of the decree published January 24, 2009: Note des Staatssekretariats zu den vier Bischöfen der Bruderschaft ‘St. Pius X’, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/2009/documents/rc_seg-st_20090204_note-decree-cbishops_ge.html oder: Note from the Secretariat of State Concerning the Four Prelates of the Society of Saint Pius X: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/2009/documents/rc_seg-st_20090204_note-decree-cbishops_en.html. 49. The letter of January 24, 2009 can be found on the society's website: http://www.fsspx.info/news/news.php?show = 5210 (accessed January 26, 2009). We accept and make our own all the councils up to the Second Vatican Council about which we express some reservations, http://www.ccjr.us/dialogika-resources/themes-in-todays-dialogue/sspx/361-fellay09jan24. 50. Peter Hünermann, ‘Excommunicatio – Communicatio. Versuch einer Schichtenanalyse der aktuellen Krise’, HerderKorrespondenz 63 (2009): 123f. 51. As per Rachel Donadio, ‘Healing Schism, Pope Risks Another’, New York Times, January 25, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/world/europe/26pope.html?_r = 1&ref = world. 52. Benedict XVI, General Audience, January 28, 2009, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20090128_en.html. 53. See the article by Rudolf Balmer, ‘Wie eine Gräte im Hals’, Rheinischer Merkur no. 6, February 5, 2009, http://www.merkur.de/2009_06_Wie_eine_Graete_i.32447.0.html?&no_cache = 1 (accessed February 6, 2009). 54. Benedict XVI, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church Concerning the Remission of the Excommunication of the Four Bishops Consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20090310_remissione-scomunica_en.html. 55. Benedict XVI, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church Concerning the Remission of the Excommunication of the Four Bishops Consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/ benedict_xvi/letters/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20090310_remissione-scomunica_en.html 56. See the quotation and report in: Newsletter von Radio Vatikan, March 14, 2009. 57. Jürgen Erbacher, ‘Brückenbauer im Heiligen Land. Papst Benedikt XVI. macht diplomatischen Boden gut’, http://www.heute.de/ZDFheute/inhalt/30/0,3672,7588062,00.html; Sebastian Engelbrecht, ‘Versöhnung mit dem Judentum ist dem Papst fremd’, http://www.tagesschau.de/kommentar/papst584.html; Heinz-Joachim Fischer, Jerusalem, ‘Benedikt XVI. beendet Pilgerreise – Papst mahnt: “Nie mehr Blutvergießen! Keine Kämpfe mehr!”’, http://www.faz.net/s/RubC4DEC11C008142959199A04A6FD8EC44/Doc∼E9EDFB6768A204B8C9AE745534F022E23∼ATpl∼Ecommon∼Scontent.html; Dina Porat, ‘Der Papst hat sich verneigt. Zur Rede von Benedikt XVI. in Yad Vashem’, Freiburger Rundbrief NF 16 (2009): 257–9; Norbert Hofmann, ‘“Im Geist der Einheit und des Friedens”. Ein Kommentar zur Pilgerreise von Papst Benedikt XVI’,: Freiburger Rundbrief NF 16 (2009): 260–64; Efraim Zuroff, ‘Chance For Empathy Missed During Papal Visit’, http://thebulletin.us/articles/2009/05/14/commentary/op-eds/doc4a0b9a9e1146d003647775.txt; Sergio Itzhak Minerbi, ‘Benedict XVI, the Lefebvrians, the Jews, and the State of Israel’, Jewish Political Studies Review 21, no. 3–4 (Fall 2009), http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT = 5&DBID = 1&LNGID = 1&TMID = 111&FID = 625&PID = 0&IID = 3125&TTL = Benedict_XVI,_the_Lefebvrians,_the_Jews,_and_the_State_of_Israel. 58. ‘Am schwersten war es mit den Juden’, Interview with Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein, http://www.kath.net/detail.php?id = 22967. 59. Benedict XVI, Address at the Visit to the Ancient Basilica of the Memorial of Moses on the Mount Nebo, May 9, 2009, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2009/may/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20090509_memoriale-mose_en.html. 60. Benedict XVI, Address at the visit to Yad Vashem Memorial, May 11, 2009, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2009/may/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20090511_yad-vashem_en.html. 61. Benedict XVI, Prayer at the Western Wall, May 12, 2009, http://www.vatican.va/holy_ father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2009/may/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20090512_prayer-wall_en.html (‘God of all the ages, on my visit to Jerusalem, the “City of Peace”, spiritual home to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, I bring before you the joys, the hopes and the aspirations, the trials, the suffering and the pain of all your people throughout the world. God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, hear the cry of the afflicted, the fearful, the bereft; send your peace upon this Holy Land, upon the Middle East, upon the entire human family; stir the hearts of all who call upon your name, to walk humbly in the path of justice and compassion. “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him” [Lam 3:25]!’). 62. Yosef Neville Lamdan's general view of the relationship between the Israel and the Vatican can be found in the article: ‘Israel–Vatican Diplomatic Relations’, http://www.popeinisrael.org.il/PopeinIsrael/Israel-Vatican/Israel-Vatican_Diplomatic_Relations.htm. with regard to current Vatican-Israel relations, see also: Ralph Rotte, ‘Schwierige Gratwanderung. Der Heilige Stuhl und der Staat Israel’, HerderKorrespondenz 63 (2009): 227–32. 63. ‘World Jewish Congress praises Pope Benedict's trip to Israel’, http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/269726,world-jewish-congress-praises-pope-benedicts-trip-to-israel.html; Abraham H. Foxman, ‘The Importance of the Pope's Visit to Israel’, http://www.adl.org/ADL_Opinions/Interfaith/20090514-Op-ed.htm; Shlomo Avnieri, ‘An Israeli View: The Pope in the Holy Land’, http://www.israelpolicyforum.org/blog/israeli-view-pope-holy-land. 64. Walter Cardinal Kasper, ‘There is no Alternative to Dialogue among Christians and Jews’, L'Osservatore Romano, May 27, 2009, and http://www.ccjr.us/dialogika-resources/documents-and-statements/roman-catholic/kasper/809-there-is-no-alternative-to-dialogue-among-christians-and-jews. See also Jürgen Springer, ‘Im Heiligen Land des Ein-Gott-Glaubens’ Christ in der Gegenwart, 61 (2009): 223f; Dina Porat, ‘Der Papst hast sich verneigt’ and Norbert J. Hofmann SDB, ‘Im Geist der Einheit und des Friedens’, Freiburger Rundbrief NF 16 (2009): 257–64; Christian Rutishauser, ‘Ein bewegtes Jahr jüdisch-christlichen Gesprächs’, Stimmen der Zeit 134 (2009): 807–17. 65. As per Engelbrecht, ‘Versöhnung mit dem Judentum ist dem Papst fremd’. 66. See the article ‘Johannes Paul II. und Pius XII.: Schritt auf dem Weg zur Seligsprechung’, Newsletter von Radio Vatikan, December 19, 2009. 67. ‘“Das Schweigen von Pius XII. schmerzt noch heute” – Auszüge aus Rede in der Synagoge’, http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/ted/Articolo.asp?c = 350055. 68. Benedict XVI, Address at the Visit to the Synagogue of Rome, January 17, 2010, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2010/january/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20100117_sinagoga_en.html. 69. See the statements by John Paul II in: Rolf Rendtorff and Hans Hermann Henrix, eds., Die Kirchen und das Judentum. Band I: Dokumente von 1945 bis 1985 (Paderborn/Gütersloh: Bonifatius/Chr. Kaiser Gütersloher, 2001), 64, 71, 72, 78. 70. As per John Paul II in his address on the centrality of the Jews in Germany of May 1, 1987 or on the leadership of France's Jewish community of 9 October 1988 in Strasburg, see Hans Hermann Henrix and Wolfgang Kraus, eds., Die Kirchen und das Judentum. Band II: Dokumente von 1986 bis 2000 (Paderborn-Gütersloh: Bonifatius/Chr. Kaiser Gütersloher, 2001), 23f. and 37f. 71. John Paul II, Address to the Representatives of the Jewish Community, Sydney (Australia), November 26, 1986, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/ john_paul_ii/speeches/1986/november/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19861126_com-ebraica-sidney-australia_en.html. 72. Küng, ‘An Open Letter to the Catholic Bishops of the World’. For a similar assessment see: ‘Pressemitteilung der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz’, no. 013, January 19, 2010: ‘Wichtiger Schritt in der jüdisch-katholischen Beziehung – Bischof Mussinghoff würdigt Papstbesuch in der römischen Synagoge’; Jürgen Springer, ‘Päpstlicher Besuch zur rechten Zeit’, Christ in der Gegenwart 62 (2010): 42; International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations, Letter to His Holiness Benedict XVI, January 25, 2010 (unveröffentlicht); Bernard-Henri Lévy, ‘Servitudes et Grandeur de Benoît XVI’, http://www.bernard-henri-levy.com/ servitudes-et-grandeur-de-benoit-xvi-le-point-du-21012010-3752.html.