Maurice Pinay Blog: Pope Stern's Inquisition

Maurice Pinay Blog: Pope Stern's Inquisition

Monday, October 24, 2011

Pope Stern's Inquisition

Certainly, notorious anti-Semites[*] such as Bishop Williamson must not be granted a place in the Catholic Church,” [WJC Deputy Secretary-General Maram] Stern declared.

World Jewish Congress urges Rome to sideline opponents of Catholic-Jewish reconciliation

24 October 2011

Ahead of the interfaith meeting later this week in Assisi, Italy – hosted by Pope Benedict XVI and to be attended by 300 religious leaders from around the Globe – the World Jewish Congress (WJC) has urged the Vatican to forcefully oppose attempts to blame Jews collectively for the death of Jesus. Deputy Secretary-General Maram Stern, the WJC official in charge of inter-religious dialogue (pictured right at a meeting with the pope in 2010), said: “Last week, Catholics were treated to another despicable tractate by Bishop Richard Williamson whose point was to derail Catholic-Jewish reconciliation and to revive age-old anti-Semitic canards such as that of Jewish deicide. This was a timely reminder that there are still many clerics out there who vehemently oppose and actively undermine dialogue and reconciliation between Catholics and Jews.”

“Unfortunately, some Catholic splinter groups such as Williamson’s Society of St. Pius X continue to defend and propagate medieval anti-Jewish teachings. It is therefore important not to jeopardize the enormous achievements made in Catholic-Jewish dialogue over the past decades by allowing preachers of hate in again through the back door. Certainly, notorious anti-Semites such as Bishop Williamson must not be granted a place in the Catholic Church,” Stern declared.

Last week, Williamson – who in 2009 publicly denied the existence of gas chambers in Nazi death camps and was convicted by a German court earlier this year of Holocaust denial – wrote on his web blog: “Only the Jews (leaders and people) were the prime agents of the deicide” [of Jesus Christ], and not Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate. Williamson also alleged “a continuity amongst Jews down the centuries”, indirectly blaming today’s Jews for Jesus’ death.

Maram Stern, who will represent the World Jewish Congress at the Assisi gathering, said Jews around the world valued that Pope Benedict XVI, like his predecessor John Paul II, “is sincerely committed to strengthening inter-faith dialogue.” Stern urged the Pope to reiterate statements he made earlier this year in his book on Jesus and turn them into an article of faith of the Church.

http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/10813/world_jewish_congress_urges_rome_to_sideline_opponents_of_catholic_jewish_reconciliation

* As Joseph Sobran aptly noted, "The word has no precise definition. An “anti-Semite” may or may not hate Jews. But he is certainly hated by Jews."

Also see:

WJC President Alexander Mashkevich

Papal Ambiguity has a Clear Trajectory

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St. Francis on Preachers

Therefore, all brothers must beware of all pride and vainglory. And let us keep ourselves from the wisdom of this world and the prudence of the flesh. For the spirit of the flesh desires and is most eager to have words, but little to carry them out. And it does not seek a religion and holiness in the interior spirit, but it wishes and desires to have a religion and holiness outwardly apparent to people. And these are the ones of whom the Lord says: Truly I say to you: They have received their reward. But the Spirit of the Lord wishes the flesh to be mortified and despised, worthless and relected. And it strives for humility and patience, and the pure and simple and true peace of the spiritual person. And above all things it always longs for the divine fear and the divine wisdom and the divine love of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

And let us refer all good
to the most high and supreme Lord God,
and acknowledge that every good is His,
and thank Him for everything,
He from Whom all good things come.
And may He,
the Highest and Supreme,
Who alone is true God,
have and be given and receive
every honor and reverence, every praise and blessing, every thanks and glory,
for every good is His,
He who alone is good.