14 February 2008
An assembly representing Conservative rabbis world-wide has passed a resolution criticizing the revised Catholic prayer text for the Good Friday liturgy in the Latin Mass. In Washington, the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative movement voted to ask the Vatican to clarify the text's meaning. The 1,600-member assembly said it was "dismayed and deeply disturbed to learn of reports that Pope Benedict XVI has revised the 1962 text of the Latin Mass, retaining the rubric 'For the conversion of the Jews.'"
Although the Latin version of the Good Friday prayer would be heard by few Roman Catholic congregations, Jewish groups have expressed disappointment with its language, viewing it as a step backward after decades of work to improve Jewish-Catholic ties. Pope Benedict touched off controversy last year when he allowed the re-introduction of old Tridentine, or Latin, Mass along with a missal that had been phased out in the 1960s. The Pope had agreed not to use the traditional Latin prayer because of such references as Jewish "blindness" toward Christ. however the prayer released last week asks that God "may enlighten [the Jews] hearts so that they recognize Jesus Christ as the savior."
Rabbi Alvin Berkun, president of the Rabbinical Assembly, said the release of the revised Latin-language prayer by the Vatican was only a small bump in improving Jewish-Catholic relations, but the Jewish community needed to express concern. "I think as Jews we have learned that we cannot just sit idly by, that when there is even a minor setback we need to focus on it," Berkun, a long-time participant in inter-faith dialogue, was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency.
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