Italian Rabbis opt out of 2009 Catholic-Jewish Dialogue Day
(November 22, 2008) Saying they were not satisfied with Vatican explanations concerning
a Good Friday prayer for the Jews, members of the Italian Rabbinical Assembly said
they would not co-sponsor the annual Day of Catholic-Jewish Dialogue in January. The
rabbinical assembly and the Italian bishops' conference have together sponsored the
Jan. 17 dialogue day since 1990. Rabbi Giuseppe Laras, president of the assembly,
announced Nov. 18 that the Jewish community would not participate in the 2009 event
because, "according to our point of view, nothing satisfactory" has come out of discussions
about Pope Benedict XVI's new text for the Tridentine-rite Good Friday prayer for
the Jews. The rabbi said the pope's text encourages Catholics to pray that Jews would
recognize Christ as the saviour. In addition, he said, by praying they would be enlightened
the prayer implies that the Jews are blind to the truth. Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of
Terni, Narni and Amelia, president of the Italian bishops' commission for ecumenical
and interreligious dialogue, told Vatican Radio Nov. 20, "Obviously we are pained
by the decision taken by the rabbinical assembly." He noted that Vatican officials
have reassured Jewish leaders by pointing out that the prayer "puts everything into
the hands of the Lord" and refers to the church's hope for the salvation of all people
at the end of time. Bishop Paglia said the Italian bishops would mark Jan. 17, 2009,
as a day for "Jewish-Christian reflection," in the hope that it would "deepen further
the indispensable connection and relationship between Christians and Jews."