Watching Ps and Qs

During the pontificate of John Paul II, great strides were made in the on-going dialogue between Christians and Jews. In fact JPII became somewhat of a hero to many of the Jewish people and was praised for forging relationships between these two traditions which have not always had a smooth time of it.

Having been deeply scarred by the holocaust in the 1930s and 1940s, he himself had lost some of his dearest friends, and was therefore uniquely qualified to act as a catalyst in promoting unity between the Catholic Church and 'our elder brothers in faith'. Much of the dialogue which has gone on in recent years was begun thanks to the Vatican II document Nostra Aetate which outlined the situation between Jews and the Catholic Church.

Forty years have now gone by since the publication of that landmark document. The work continues, and it is perhaps providential that the last two bearers of the Fisherman's ring have both been so closely marked by the events of the genocide that took place during the Second World War. For his part, Benedict XVI acknowledged the work of reconciliation in a letter on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Nostra Aetate which he addressed to His Eminience, Walter Cardinal Kasper, President of the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with Jews.

In preparation for Holy Week this year, the Vatican rewrote one of the prayers of the liturgy for Good Friday, with an eye to improving the language out of respect for our elder brothers in faith, but this edit was greeted with mixed emotions by some in the Jewish community. In a statement published today, the Vatican continued its efforts to repair any damage that might have been inflicted.

All this delicate diplomacy shows that when all is said and done, it's hard work to keep the peace, but in the end, peace is what Jesus came to bring. He expects us to settle for nothing less.