Within the wake of recent antisemitic comments from high-profile cultural figures, the necessity for ongoing dialogue between Catholics and Jews stays essential, those involved in such conversations say.
In an interview with America, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington and the Catholic co-chair of the National Council of Synagogues consultation for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that Catholics have an obligation to be well-informed concerning the news, especially when antisemitic comments or actions are prevalent.
“It’s vital that we Catholics stay on top of what’s happening and witness the destructive forces that appear continuously to be erupting in lots of—too many—places in our nation,” he said.
Antisemitic incidents in america in 2021 reached historic levels, the Anti-Defamation League reported earlier this yr.
In an interview with America, Cardinal Wilton Gregory said that Catholics have an obligation to be well-informed concerning the news, especially when antisemitic comments or actions are prevalent.
“Attacks against Jewish institutions, including Jewish community centers (JCCs) and synagogues, were up by 61 percent, incidents at K-12 schools increased 106 percent, and incidents on college campuses rose 21 percent,” the report found.
While anti-Jewish incidents, together with other hate crimes, are on the rise more broadly, some recent high-profile incidents have caught widespread public notice. The musician formerly often called Kanye West recently espoused particularly virulent antisemitic views, expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler and claiming that the Holocaust didn’t occur. Days before he made those comments, Mr. West dined with former President Donald Trump in Florida, together with Mr. West’s guest at that dinner, the web provocateur Nick Fuentes, a Catholic who usually expresses antisemitic and white supremacist views.
In October, Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving shared a link on his Twitter account promoting an antisemitic film, which incorporates claims that the Holocaust didn’t occur. Mr. Irving was suspended by the team after initially refusing to apologize or state that he just isn’t antisemitic. He eventually apologized and was reinstated, though just this week Nike announced it had ended its relationship with Mr. Irving.
Cardinal Gregory, who has been archbishop within the nation’s capital since 2019, said Catholic political figures should, “indisputably,” condemn antisemitic behavior, adding that they “needs to be outraged and embarrassed and anxious, of their position as leaders, and as Catholics in the general public arena.”
Antisemitic incidents in america in 2021 reached historic levels, the Anti-Defamation League reported earlier this yr.
The united statesC.C.B. released a press release condemning antisemitism late last month.
“The rising trend of antisemitic incidents has turn into much more painful in light of the Church’s relationship to the Jewish tradition and our connections to the Jewish people in dialogue and friendship,” the statement read. “Outraged by the deeply hurtful proliferations of antisemitic rhetoric, each online and in-person, and the violent attacks on Jewish individuals, homes, and institutions, we want to convey our sincere support to the Jewish people.”
The bishops continued, “In unequivocal terms, we condemn any and all violence directed on the Jewish people, whether motivated by religious, racial, or political grievances. We moreover denounce any rhetoric which seeks to demonize or dehumanize the Jewish people or Judaism as a non secular tradition.”
Though the timing of the statement’s release made it look like bishops were reacting to the news cycle, “this statement has actually been within the works for quite some time,” Rebecca Cohen, a researcher at the usC.C.B.’s Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, told America. She said the statement was a part of a yearslong effort amongst Catholic bishops to call attention to antisemitism, which incorporates an emphasis on ongoing dialogue.
Bishops meet twice yearly with Jewish leaders as a part of their formal, ongoing dialogue and collaborate more informally as situations arise.
Cardinal Gregory, who has been archbishop within the nation’s capital since 2019, said Catholic political figures should, “indisputably,” condemn antisemitic behavior.
Ms. Cohen said that engaging in this sort of dialogue can, at times, be uncomfortable for Catholics given the church’s history of Jewish persecution. But she said that confronting that history is a vital task.
“We can’t be Christian without understanding our Jewish roots,” she told America. “We can’t be Catholics and promote hate.”
Malka Z. Simkovich chairs the Jewish studies program on the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She said that Catholics have a novel role in condemning anti-Jewish statements and actions due to church’s historic role in persecuting Jews.
“The church has already provided Catholics with precedent to try this,” Dr. Simkovich told America, pointing to “Nostra Aetate,” the Second Vatican Council’s teaching document that condemns antisemitism. “It’s totally disheartening that there’s still resistance amongst Catholics to confess to the unique role that the church has had with regard to the suffering of the Jews.”
Catholics who got here of age after Vatican II may not as attuned to the the church’s historic antisemitism, which may cause some younger believers to view anti-Jewish hatred as simply yet one more social sick that needs addressing, Dr. Simkovich said.
“I actually resist it when people say, ‘Oh, we have now to combat antisemitism since it could lead on to other types of hatred against other minorities,’” she said. “Antisemitism must be taken by itself as a scourge that should be addressed.”
“We don’t know our own history,” Cardinal Gregory said. “The farther away we get from a terrible moment in history, there are fewer individuals who have firsthand knowledge of it.”
The success of Catholic-Jewish dialogue circles lies in the private relationships that always develop amongst participants. Those friendships provide the premise for offering support during particularly painful episodes of antisemitism. But Dr. Simkovich admits that translating the advances made in those smaller conversation circles into wider understanding is usually a challenge.
“There’s an enormous disparity between what’s happening in these smaller communities of dialogue and what I’m seeing from people within the pews,” she said. “The query is learn how to bridge this gap between a really small but robust community of Catholic and Jewish scholars and clergy and what’s happening within the broader Catholic community, which tends to be less enthusiastic about combating anti-Judaism.”
But Dr. Simkovich said she stays hopeful.
“I attempt to be optimistic because I feel change is admittedly slow,” Dr. Simkovich said. “We’re talking a couple of generation that’s pushing back against 2,000 years of history, and it’s going to take us a really very long time to affect the change that we’re impatient to see now.”
The church will mark 60 years for the reason that publication of “Nostra Aetate” in 2025, which suggests there are fewer Catholics today who remember a time when Catholic teaching was far less hospitable to Jews and other religious groups than it’s today. Which means it is particularly vital for younger Catholics to find out about that history—even when it feels painful.
“Whether or not it’s directed towards people of color, immigrants, Jews, Muslims, hatred is rarely acceptable,” the cardinal said.
“We don’t know our own history,” Cardinal Gregory said. “The farther away we get from a terrible moment in history, there are fewer individuals who have firsthand knowledge of it.”
Future leaders, especially, must educate themselves about past challenges in the event that they wish to effectively address contemporary issues, he added.
“We won’t give you the option to get beyond our history, we won’t give you the option to get concerning the job of healing, of reconciliation, if we don’t recognize the causes that drove us apart,” Cardinal Gregory said. “For those who do not know what caused the issue, you won’t know why the solutions should be issued.”
Cardinal Gregory said that while not all Catholics may have the chance to have interaction in projects geared toward dialogue with the Jewish community, they need to nonetheless seek to find out about Judaism’s impact on their faith. He pointed to the liturgy and Catholic prayer life nearly as good examples.
“Our Catholic liturgy has an ideal debt that goes back to the primary Christians, including our Lord and Blessed Mother herself: They were Jewish,” he said. “And after they prayed, they prayed within the Jewish context.”
Cardinal Gregory pointed to Pope Francis, who has said that a real Christian can’t be an antisemite. He said he recognized that there are a lot of areas of injustice prevalent in our society, and said Christians should see “them as interrelated hatred.”
“Whether or not it’s directed towards people of color, immigrants, Jews, Muslims, hatred is rarely acceptable,” the cardinal said.
