The Views of Rabbi Moses Feinstein, Rabbi Abraham Joshua ...
The Views of Rabbi Moses Feinstein, Rabbi Abraham Joshua ... The Views of Rabbi Moses Feinstein, Rabbi Abraham Joshua ...
The Second Vatican Council/Nostra Aetate The Second Vatican Council was ―probably the most important event in the history of Roman Catholicism since the Reformation‖ 48 and had its origins in the announcement of Pope John XXIII, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, on January 25, 1959 that he would convene an ecumenical council. The primary purpose of the ecumenical council, as articulated in the Papal Bull, was ―to ‗offer an opportunity for all men of goodwill to turn their thoughts and resolutions to peace,‘ in a world that is currently ‗lost, confused and anxious under the continual threat of new frightful conflicts.‘‖ 49 Indeed, the council was convened at a time when advances were being made ―in science and technology, space exploration and new methods of communication, as well as new political realities, the rise of Communism and the constant fear of nuclear war,‖ 50 prompting Christians to reconsider ―their religious existence in the modern world.‖ 51 During the period from 1958 to 1960, the Papacy chose to eliminate several Catholic liturgical expressions that were deemed prejudicial toward Jews. The Pope gave Cardinal Augustin Bea, who was president of the Secretariat for Christian Unity of the Holy See at the time, the responsibility of developing a draft concerning ―the 48 Queen, Prothero, & Shattuck 696 49 Sklarin 353 50 Sklarin 353 51 Sklarin 353 9
elationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people for the consideration of the Council Fathers.‖ 52 One of the organizations that participated in this initiative was the American Jewish Committee (AJC), which appointed an advisory group comprised of Rabbis Elio Toaff of Rome, Jacob Kaplan of France, and Louis Finkelstein, Salo Baron, Joseph Soloveitchik, and Abraham Heschel of the United States. Soloveitchik and Heschel ―emerged early on as the major Jewish spokesman.‖ 53 Their participation will be described in greater detail below. After years of preparation, the council met on October 11, 1962, and finished its work on December 8, 1965. The council consisted of ―Catholic cardinals and bishops‖ 54 tasked, by papal imperative, ―to harmonize tradition ‗with the new conditions and needs of the time.‖ 55 Among many of the changes effected by the Second Vatican Council was a modification in the way the church conceived of itself. The Roman Catholic Church transformed its understanding of itself as hierarchical, consisting of ―bishops, priests, religious, and laity,‖ 56 extending the conception of the church to ―the whole people of G[-]d.‖ 57 The Second Vatican Council also wrought modifications in the way in which the Church conceived of its relationship to Protestants and non-Christians. Nostra Aetate (―Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions‖) and Dignitatis Humanae (―Declaration on Religious Freedom‖) altered the way in which the Church understood itself in relation to other religions, religious liberty, and the separation of church and state. These texts discarded the traditional Roman Catholic view that ―no salvation 52 Kimelman 4 53 Kimelman 4 54 Sarna 312 55 Sarna 312 56 Queen, Prothero, & Shattuck 697 57 Queen, Prothero, & Shattuck 697 10
- Page 1 and 2: The Views of Rabbi Moses Feinstein,
- Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Overview: Ecume
- Page 5 and 6: any one denomination to pursue effe
- Page 7 and 8: traditions (‗culture groups‘):
- Page 9 and 10: Leaders, Protestant, Catholic, and
- Page 11: the national creed.‘‖ 46 Accord
- Page 15 and 16: of individuals, such as Roncalli an
- Page 17 and 18: authoritarian regimes.‖ 82 In add
- Page 19 and 20: Rabbi Moses Feinstein: Biographical
- Page 21 and 22: was a Kohen.‖ 102 Through employi
- Page 23 and 24: Rabbi Moses Feinstein on Interfaith
- Page 25 and 26: on Christian-Jewish dialogue, feari
- Page 27 and 28: Joseph B. Soloveitchik, whose own p
- Page 29 and 30: descended from the Beis Halevi (the
- Page 31 and 32: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik on Int
- Page 33 and 34: certain non-religious matters, shar
- Page 35 and 36: I and Adam II is also found in Solo
- Page 37 and 38: Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel on Int
- Page 39 and 40: not only given us rights, it has al
- Page 41 and 42: fratricide,‖ 201 asserting that,
- Page 43 and 44: also is not even an aspiration wort
- Page 45 and 46: theologically than, the tradition o
- Page 47 and 48: for Jews given that this religious
- Page 49 and 50: Bibliography Berenbaum, Michael, an
- Page 51: Sarna, Jonathan D. American Judaism
<strong>The</strong> Second Vatican Council/Nostra Aetate<br />
<strong>The</strong> Second Vatican Council was ―probably the most important event in the<br />
history <strong>of</strong> Roman Catholicism since the Reformation‖ 48<br />
and had its origins in the<br />
announcement <strong>of</strong> Pope John XXIII, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, on January 25, 1959 that<br />
he would convene an ecumenical council. <strong>The</strong> primary purpose <strong>of</strong> the ecumenical<br />
council, as articulated in the Papal Bull, was ―to ‗<strong>of</strong>fer an opportunity for all men <strong>of</strong><br />
goodwill to turn their thoughts and resolutions to peace,‘ in a world that is currently<br />
‗lost, confused and anxious under the continual threat <strong>of</strong> new frightful conflicts.‘‖ 49<br />
Indeed, the council was convened at a time when advances were being made ―in science<br />
and technology, space exploration and new methods <strong>of</strong> communication, as well as new<br />
political realities, the rise <strong>of</strong> Communism and the constant fear <strong>of</strong> nuclear war,‖ 50<br />
prompting Christians to reconsider ―their religious existence in the modern world.‖ 51<br />
During the period from 1958 to 1960, the Papacy chose to eliminate several Catholic<br />
liturgical expressions that were deemed prejudicial toward Jews.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Pope gave<br />
Cardinal Augustin Bea, who was president <strong>of</strong> the Secretariat for Christian Unity <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Holy See at the time, the responsibility <strong>of</strong> developing a draft concerning ―the<br />
48 Queen, Prothero, & Shattuck 696<br />
49 Sklarin 353<br />
50 Sklarin 353<br />
51 Sklarin 353<br />
9
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