AJC Welcomes Vatican Clarification
July 19, 2007 - New York - The American Jewish Committee welcomes the Vatican's concern for replacing a prayer calling for the conversion of Jews in the Tridentine Latin mass.
"We appreciate the statement by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State, making it clear that efforts will be made to replace the disturbing Good Friday prayer for Jewish conversion found in the 1962 version of the Latin Tridentine mass," said Rabbi David Rosen, AJC's international director of Interreligious Affairs.
Following the Pope's "Motu Proprio" announced on July 7, there had been concern that this pre-Vatican II prayer would again be more extensively used.
"Contrary to those who presented the Motu Proprio, as a retreat from advances in Catholic-Jewish relations, this clarification in effect confirms those strides and even advances them," said Rosen.
For well over half a century, AJC has been deeply involved in seeking to advance Catholic-Jewish relations around the world. Rabbi Rosen chairs the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations which is the official Jewish partner of the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with Jewry, chaired by Cardinal Walter Kasper.
Ari M. Gordon Assistant Director Department of Interreligious Affairs American Jewish Committee 165 E56th St. New York, NY 10022 (212) 891-6768 (212) 751-4000 x266 www.ajc.org www.engagingamerica.org