Jewish Catholic Dialogue Committee marks 50th Anniversary

It’s a big milestone for the Jewish Catholic Dialogue Committee.

The interfaith organization celebrated its 50th Anniversary this year, signifying half a century of enlightenment and understanding between the two religions. The anniversary was celebrated on Wednesday, June 12, at St. Peter’s Hospital in the Mercy Conference room.

“We’ve been at this for 50 years, praise God,” said Rev. James Kane, committee adviser and Director of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs of the Albany Diocese.

The Jewish Catholic Dialogue was co-founded in August 1968 by the Jewish Federation and the Roman Catholic Diocese. Since its inception, the organization has strived to foster positive relationships and conversation between the Catholic and Jewish faiths.

“It’s about building connections and relationships,” said BJ Rosenfeld, committee co-chair. “The Capital District is admired as an interfaith community.”

The anniversary celebration included a viewing of The St. John’s Bible - a limited, fine art extension of the original work - that was the first hand-scripted, illuminated Bible since the invention of the printing press, and a presentation by Father Kane and Rev. Tom Morrette, co-chair, about the Church’s teachings on Jews and the Jewish faith since the release of Vatican II in 1965.

The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as Vatican II, addressed the relationship between the Catholic Church and the modern world. Between 1962 and 1965, the council called together close to 3,000 bishops, observers, sisters and laypeople to St. Peter’s Basilica to discuss the Church’s operation in culture and everyday life.

“Other than the bible, there is no more authoritative teaching in our Church than an Ecumenical council,” said Father Kane.

While considered very liberal at its release, Vatican II has since been credited as the foundation for the modern Church. The council called upon Catholics to pray with other Christian denominations and encouraged friendship with other non-Christian faiths.

Copies of various documents, books and statements discussing the Church’s latest teachings on Jews and Judaism were on display for attendees to read. Many works from the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews were available, such as:

• “Notes on the Correct Way to Present the Jews and Judaism in Preaching and Catechesis in the Roman Catholic Church,” released June 24, 1985.

• “We Remember: A reflection on the Shoah,” released March 16, 1998, which condemned the Nazi genocide and called for repentance from Catholics who failed to stop it.

• “The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christen Bible,” released May 24, 2001.

Other works came from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and included “Guidelines for Catholic-Jewish Relations” released in 1985, and “God’s Mercy Endures Forever: Guidelines on the Presentation of Jews and Judaism in Catholic preaching” released in 1988.

“Catholics believe that there are two fonts of God's revelation: The Bible and tradition, being the lived experience of the Christian community,” said Father Kane. “That lived experience includes the Magisterium, the teaching office of the Church, that’s what this table is all about.

“This evening’s gathering is part of the tradition. Building bridges with one another, that's part of the tradition of handing onto others.”