St John Paul II’s example as a strong bridge-builder between Catholicism and Judaism should be used against enduring anti-Semitism, according to a theologian who wrote a two-volume biography of one of the longest-serving popes. Source: OSV News.
Author and senior fellow of the Washington-based Ethics and Public Policy Centre, George Weigel, closed a half-day conference on Monday on Catholics and anti-Semitism with a keynote address.
Panellists from other sessions highlighted the value of meaningful interactions between Catholics and Jews, from sharing kind words of concern following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, to attending each other’s religious services or asking questions about each other’s faith practices they have read about.
Among the panellists were those who highlighted the need to push back against social media-driven anti-Semitism, and those who shared why the Church – particularly in the light of the Second Vatican Council’s teaching on Catholic-Jewish relations and the role of the laity to “perfect the temporal order with the spirit of the Gospel” – calls Catholics to fight the scourge of anti-Semitism
“We have heard some hard truths today and these are things that have to be said – that had to be said – and they have to be repeated,” Mr Weigel said at the start of his remarks.
“But I hope to end this encounter today on an encouraging note, reflecting on a witness to hope who accelerated the transformation of Jewish-Catholic relations into a collaboration in favour of decency, civility and the truth about the human person.”
Mr Weigel noted that St John Paul, throughout his more than 26 years as pope, “saw himself, and he conducted himself, as an heir of the Second Vatican Council, and its teachings on the filial debt that Christianity owes its parent, Judaism”.
Mr Weigel said he was confident that as a “determined foe of anti-Semitism”, St John Paul would be heartbroken at the undesirable recurrence “of that ancient plague we have discussed today.” He said the saint would want people to “name that evil for what it is”.
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St John Paul II hailed as model for Catholics to fight rising scourge of antisemitism (By Simone Orendain, OSV News)
