Full text: joint statement from Chief Rabbinate of Israel and Vatican Commission for
Religious Relations with Jews
The Bilateral Commission of the Delegations of the the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and
the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews met this week. Below
is the full text of their joint communiqué.
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Bilateral
Commission Meeting of the Delegations of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and
the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews
(Rome,
March 27 – 29, 2012; Nissan 4 – 6, 5772)
Joint Statement
1.
The Jewish co-chair Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen opened the meeting, giving thanks to
God for the historic transformation in Catholic-Jewish relations since the Second
Vatican Council (1962-65) and for the establishment of the bilateral commission of
the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Holy See, after the historic visit of Pope John
Paul II to Israel. Cardinal Peter Turkson, the new Catholic co-chair, responded
paying tribute to his predecessor Cardinal Jorge Mejía and welcomed the delegations,
in particular those who had just joined the bilateral commission. Cardinal Mejía together
with Cardinal Cottier, as the former senior members of the Catholic delegation, accompanied
by Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations
with the Jews, visited with the delegations and expressed their joy at the continuity
of this work as a blessing for both communities and for humanity.
2. The theme
of this the 11th meeting of the bilateral commission was titled “Religious
perspectives on the current financial crisis: vision for a just economic order”. The
special guest on the first evening was Prof. Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, President of the
Vatican’s Istituto per le Opere di Religione, who provided an analysis of the causes
of the financial crisis and shared thoughts on possible ways forward. Papers on the
theme were provided by Dr. Meir Tamari, former chief economist of the Bank of Israel,
and Prof. Stefano Zamagni from the Economic Science Department of the University of
Bologna.
3. Following from the presentations and discussion, the following
points were highlighted:- While many factors contributed to the financial crisis,
at its roots lies a crisis of moral values in which the importance of having, reflected
in a culture of greed, eclipsed the importance of being; and where the value of truth
reflected in honesty and transparency was sorely lacking in economic activity.
4.
At the heart of Jewish and Catholic visions for a just economic order is the affirmation
of the sovereignity and providence of the Creator of the world with whom all wealth
originates and which is given to humankind as a gift for the common good.
5.
Accordingly, the purpose of an economic order is to serve the wellbeing of society,
affirming the human dignity of all people, each created in the Divine Image. While
this concept of dignity affirms the value of the person, it is antithetical to egocentricity.
Rather, it requires the promotion of the wellbeing of the individual in relation to
community and society, emphasizing human obligations and responsibilities accordingly
and thereby affirming human solidarity and fraternity. This posits the obligation
to guarantee certain basic human needs, such as the protection of life, sustenance,
clothing, housing, health, education and employment. Particular attention must
therefore be given to the vulnerable – the poor, the orphan, the widow the sick and
disabled; and the stranger, which in today’s society is particularly relevant to migrant
and foreign workers – whose condition serves as a measure of the moral health of society
or lack thereof, and the degree of solidarity within it.
6. Furthermore, just
as the Divine gift of wealth places obligations upon the recipient in relation to
those less fortunate materially; similarly countries with developed economies have
the obligation to recognize their responsibilities and duties towards countries and
societies in need – especially in this era of globalization.
7. Concepts highlighted
for the promotion of a more just economic order included:- the universal destination
of the goods of the earth; a culture of “enough” that implies a degree of self-limitation
and modesty; responsible stewardship; an ethical system of allocation of resources
and priorities; and the critical importance of honesty, transparency, gratuitousness
and accountability.
8. Just as the crisis has required partial remission of
debts on national and international levels, there is a need to extend this to families
and individuals for their economic self-rehabilitation.
9. The members of the
bilateral commission underscored the role that the faith communities must play in
contributing to a responsible economic order and the importance of their engagement
by government, educational institutions, and the media, to this end.
10. In
addition to the ethical wisdom drawn from our spiritual heritages, religious communities
are an integral part of civil society, which must play a central role together with
politics and business, in ensuring the subsidiarity necessary for a just social and
economic order.
11. Furthermore the crisis has revealed the profound lack of
the ethical component in economic thinking. Hence, it is imperative that institutes
and academies of economic studies and policy formation include ethical training in
their curricula, similar to that which has developed in recent years in the field
of medical ethics; and also ethical counselling to decision makers on a national and
international level.
12. The meeting concluded with prayer to the Source of
all blessing that the words of the Psalmist will be fulfilled “Mercy and truth are
met together; righteousness and peace have kissed (each other). Truth shall spring
out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall
give (that which is) good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall
go before Him; and shall set (us) in the way of His steps” (Ps 85,11-14).
Rome, March
29th, 2012 – Nissan 6th, 5772
Rabbi Shear
Yashuv Cohen Peter Cardinal Turkson (Chairman of the Jewish Delegation) (Chairman
of the Catholic Delegation)
Rabbi David Rosen Archbishop Elias Chacour Rabbi
Prof. Daniel Sperber Archbishop Antonio Franco Rabbi Prof. Avraham Steinberg Archbishop
Bruno Forte Mr. Oded Wiener Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo Msgr. Pier Francesco
Fumagalli Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa O.F.M. Fr. Norbert J. Hofmann
S.D.B.