April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
REFLECTION
Catholics can 'come home' to temple
Catholics can 'come home' to temple
Since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, great strides have been made in the relationship between our two world religions. In our own Albany Diocese, this new era was epitomized and memorialized by the installation and dedication 30 years ago of "The Portal," a unique sculpture on the grounds of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. "The Portal" was dedicated by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Rabbi Martin Silverman. The two leaders walked through it hand in hand as a gesture of friendship during the 1986 "From Fear to Friendship," what is believed to be the first Jewish/Catholic reconciliation service in the world.
The sculpture remains on the grounds of the cathedral today as a living testament that Catholics and Jews will stand together against anti-Semitism and work together to continue building a unique and harmonious partnership. The new Vatican document advances this unique bond. Its new tone comes from the fact that, for Catholics, Jews are not just another religion; they are the older branch of the Christian family. They are not "others," but "family." In a certain sense, Catholics "come home" when they are united to and in relationship with the Jewish faith on any level. Not to be united to Judaism is to make our faith limp and ungrounded.
Admittedly, this was always a subtle teaching of the Catholic Church. However, seldom in the history of the Church was it championed. It was easily forgotten and rarely lived out well. In the history of our relationship with the Jewish community, the great development in our time is that our connection is being rediscovered, celebrated and brought into everyday Catholic life and practice.
Globalization and the horrible experience of the Holocaust have certainly caused the West to reexamine old suppositions. The Holy Spirit's driving wind, however, which filled the hearts of the Vatican Council fathers, continues to bring the buried treasures of the Gospel to center stage.
I will never forget how I felt 30 years ago, when I first entered a synagogue. It was somebody else's home, a little strange. Today, after 30 years of involvement with the Jewish community, I enter a synagogue as a student of the past and Christ's heritage. I now enter the home of my spiritual family of origin, expecting and finding there the warmth and understanding that the blessing of a large and diverse family provides. I belong there.
The great strides made between the Catholic and Jewish community in our area was begun by Bishop Emeritus Howard J. Hubbard long ago. Today, Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger continues this new blessing with great enthusiasm. Join him March 8, 7 p.m., for a talk on this new level of Catholic-Jewish relations at Temple Israel, 600 New Scotland Ave., Albany.
Shelly Shapiro and B.J. Rosenfeld of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York write that the federation "is honored that Bishop Scharfenberger will join the Jewish community to speak about 'Pope Francis takes "From Fear to Friendship" to a new level of Catholic/Jewish Relations.' We hope that members of the Catholic and the Jewish community will join together for this special event."
Bishop Scharfenberger stated that the new Vatican document "explores unresolved theological questions at the heart of Christian-Jewish dialogue" and "underscores the special status of Jewish-Catholic dialogue on Revelation in history as the 'Word of God' in Judaism and Christianity. Much remains to be done to help to heal the wounds of past misunderstandings and injustices. Nothing can replace personal encounters and face-to-face dialogues."
This is a time for rediscovering Catholic roots and going beyond handshakes to walking hand in hand into the future as one family.
(Father Morrette is co-chair of the Albany Diocese's Roman Catholic-Jewish Dialogue committee and pastor of All Saints on the Hudson parish in Mechanicville/Stillwater.)[[In-content Ad]]
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