Can I practice Judaism while remaining largely Catholic?

[ialsop]

If Judaism is a cultural or even racial thing to you, then of course you can. I celebrate my racial and cultural identity, and you ought to as well!

If by Judaism you mean the Jewish RELIGION, then absolutely NOT. The Jewish religion is outside of the Catholic Church, thus poses a danger to Salvation.

Judaism WAS a saving religion, as the Jews prepared to receive the Messiah for all mankind. And some Jews did. Some Jews didn’t. The Jews that didn’t eventually founded a new “Jewish” religion, which, as daring and possibly stupid as it is for me to say, I believe that new Rabbi based religion is LESS Jewish than Catholicism. Theologically, anyways, and ritually.

The MOST Jewish thing EVER is the Temple Sacrifice, and look! It is in Catholicism! So yes, your Jewish faith is also fulfilled in your Catholic faith…so…well its a REALLY complex question you asked there, and the answer depends on what you meant by Jewish. Best wishes!

 

[meltzerboy]

A Rabbi once said something similar; that you should not mix religions. To do so, he said, is like having one leg in one boat and the other leg in another boat, spelling disaster. I disagree!

OTOH, I have seen Jews welcoming to Christians.

Just as an aside, two separate Rabbis have stated that being kosher is a most important aspect in acquiring religious wisdom and studying mysticism. We all have to eat, and there is nothing wrong with being kosher. And yes, I believe that being kosher is pleasing to God to the degree that can bring us to a deeper understanding of God, and religious growth.

You should realize what keeping kosher means. It is not merely a dietary commandment, but a sanctification which is a means of making holy the mundane activities of our life, in this case, eating. In Judaism, and especially in Hasidism, the sanctification of the mundane is very important: eating, sleeping, sex, and so on. This is probably related to what you mentioned, namely, the study of mysticism.

 

[Robert_Sock]

You should realize what keeping kosher means. It is not merely a dietary commandment, but a sanctification which is a means of making holy the mundane activities of our life, in this case, eating. In Judaism, and especially in Hasidism, the sanctification of the mundane is very important: eating, sleeping, sex, and so on. This is probably related to what you mentioned, namely, the study of mysticism.

Can I inquire why you, a Jew, spends your time on CAF? Are you not moved by the values, namely things like love and humility, within Catholicism? There are so many values that are shared by both religions, that you feel drawn to catholicism? That about what I do with Judaism. It’s our own little hands-on class in studying comparative religion. As for conflicts in the teachings, like that of Christ being a prophet or divine, I side with Catholicism.

We have a brand new large supermarket where I always shopped, and they now devoted one large corner to kosher foods, complete with kosher deli. It’s all Hasidim I believe. Anyway, the prices can be a lot more than that found in the non-kosher area the store, but as a sacrifice to God, I choose to shop kosher and think religious thoughts.

Yes, I know I have to better understand what kosher means, but my Jewish psychiatrist emphasized that my eating kosher will not harm me.

 

[7_Sorrows]

I would recommend a book called Salvation Is From the Jews by Roy Schoeman (I hope I have that correct). He is a Hebrew Catholic.

I would also suggest you might contact a rabbi at a local synagogue and see if they offer a class for those who want to learn about Judaism or if you could join a Torah study. I took a Discovering Judaism class
once before I became Catholic. It was very interesting. I always felt close to Judaism since I was 15. As long as you are not trying to convert anyone you will probably be welcome. The Shabbat and High Holiday services are beautiful and so are the songs and prayers.

There are interfaith marriages where possibly both faiths might be practiced, but for an individual you have to determine which faith to believe and make a commitment to. In Judaism there is no Christmas. No birth of a Messiah, no Holy Family. No Mary. No Resurrection and no Ascension. No Easter. No Trinity. Even though the roots of Christianity are in Judaism, there are enormous differences.
I love the Jewish people and I have a profound respect for the Jewish faith - but you need to decide for yourself what you believe.

 

[ComplineSanFran]

Remember, too, that one of the Pope’s closest friends is a Rabbi. The two of them have prayed together over many years, often from each other’s pulpits.

I think there is a way to learn and to even pray with someone in another tradition. It is an honor to be a guest as others come before God. You can be strong in your own Catholicism and humble in another’s holy space.

Use the Pope as an example.

 

[Faxero]

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/relations-jews-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_19820306_jews-judaism_en.html

COMMISSION FOR RELIGIOUS RELATIONS WITH THE JEWS
NOTES
*on the correct way to present the Jews and Judaism
in preaching and catechesis in the Roman Catholic Church
:compcoff: The paragraphs below are a summary of the document linked above.

1. In Nostra Aetate 4, the Council speaks of the “spiritual bonds linking” Jews and Christians and of the “great spiritual patrimony” common to both and it further asserts that “the Church of Christ acknowledges that, according to the mystery of God’s saving design, the beginning of her faith and her election are already found among the patriarchs, Moses and the prophets”.
2. Because of the unique relations that exist between Christianity and Judaism - “linked together at the very level of their identity” (John Paul II, 6th March, 1982) - relations “founded on the design of the God of the Covenant” (ibid.), the Jews and Judaism should not occupy an occasional and marginal place in catechesis: their presence there is essential and should be organically integrated.
3. This concern for Judaism in Catholic teaching has not merely a historical or archeological foundation. As the Holy Father said in the speech already quoted, after he had again mentioned the “common patrimony” of the Church and Judaism as “considerable”: “To assess it carefully in itself and with due awareness of the faith and religious life of the Jewish people *as they are professed and practised still today, *can greatly help us to understand better certain aspects of the life of the Church” (underlining added). It is a question then of *pastoral *concern for a still living reality closely related to the Church. The Holy Father has stated this permanent reality of the Jewish people in a remarkable theological formula, in his allocution to the Jewish community of West Germany at Mainz, on November 17th, 1980: “the people of God of the Old Covenant, which has never been revoked”.
4. “In virtue of her divine mission, the Church” which is to be “the all-embracing means of salvation” in which alone “the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained” (*Unit. Red. *3); “must of her nature proclaim Jesus Christ to the world” (cf. Guidelines and Suggestions, I). Indeed we believe that is is through him that we go to the Father (cf. *Jn. *14:6) “and this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (*Jn *17:33).

Jesus affirms (*ibid. *10:16) that “there shall be one flock and one shepherd”. Church and Judaism cannot then be seen as two parallel ways of salvation and the Church must witness to Christ as the Redeemer for all, “while maintaining the strictest respect for religious liberty in line with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council (Declaration Dignitatis Humanae)” (Guidelines and Suggestions, I).

Conclusion
Religious teaching, catechesis and preaching should be a preparation not only for objectivity, justice, tolerance but also for understanding and dialogue. Our two traditions are so related that they cannot ignore each other. Mutual knowledge must be encouraged at every level. There is evident in particular a painful ignorance of the history and traditions of Judaism, of which only negative aspects and often caricature seem to form part of the stock ideas of many Christians.

That is what these notes aim to remedy. This would mean that the Council text and “Guidelines and Suggestions” would be more easily and faithfully put into practice.



In other words, Judaism and Christianity have a special, unbreakable connection with one another.

Does this mean that we should practice Judaism? Not necessarily. Learning about it, however, can constructively affect a Christian’s faith in Christ the redeemer, and in his all-embracing Church.

 

[ComplineSanFran]

Does this mean that we should practice Judaism? Not necessarily. Learning about it, however, can constructively affect a Christian’s faith in Christ the redeemer, and in his all-embracing Church.

I have found it to be so.

 

[GEddie]

A Rabbi once said something similar; that you should not mix religions. To do so, he said, is like having one leg in one boat and the other leg in another boat, spelling disaster. I disagree!

Well yeah, if you didn’t, you would not have launched this thread.

I am all for studying Judaism. Our faith is piggybacked on it, so understanding it brings us back to the anchor point.

Combining beliefs OTOH… Not so much. Contradictions aren’t useful in acquiring wisdom.

ICXC NIKA

 

[newcalling]

I’m curious as to what parts of Judaism you are interested in practicing? Praying towards Jerusalem? You mentioned keeping kosher, which can be a healthy way of eating. Do you want to wear the talit cloth or the yarmulke or keepa? Celebrating the holy days?

In my long path looking for God, I attended a Messianic Jewish church for a while. I didn’t wear the yarmulke/keepa (I may have misspelled those) but I did wear the talit cloth to services. I also learned a little Hebrew. I miss taking the Hebrew classes. I wish that I had finished. I also miss wearing the talit. I felt connected to Yeshua (Jesus) because he wore one, as probably did the Apostles. I am not Jewish by blood, so I would feel awkward wearing one to the Catholic church. Would that even be allowed? I also think it would be cool if we kept at least some of the holidays, except ones which have been replaced (Yom kippur essentially replaced by Easter.) I don’t know, I don’t think that God commands it, but how could it be bad to honor our roots if it’s for the right reasons?

On a side note, bells are awesome, but I’d love to see the addition of a shofar sometime.

 

[GEddie]

the talit. I felt connected to Yeshua (Jesus) because he wore one, as probably did the Apostles. I am not Jewish by blood, so I would feel awkward wearing one to the Catholic church. Would that even be allowed?

I don’t know about “allowed,” but in Christendom it is considered bad form for a male to cover his head in Church.

I also think it would be cool if we kept at least some of the holidays, except ones which have been replaced (Yom kippur essentially replaced by Easter.)

Yom Kippur? Don’t you mean Passover?

ICXC NIKA

 

[newcalling]

I don’t know about “allowed,” but in Christendom it is considered bad form for a male to cover his head in Church.

Yom Kippur? Don’t you mean Passover?

ICXC NIKA

The talit can be pulled over one’s head (the “prayer closet”) but it is a scarf or shawl worn on the shoulders. I’ve never worn the Yarmulke, the little hat.

No, I meant Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, because Easter is the Christian day of Atonement, except that it happened once for all. Yes, we time Easter with Passover because that is around the time he was crucified and he is also identified with the paschal lamb. However, I don’t see any reason to not also honor the original Passover necessarily. I’ve never been to a seder though.

 

[7_Sorrows]

I’m curious as to what parts of Judaism you are interested in practicing? Praying towards Jerusalem? You mentioned keeping kosher, which can be a healthy way of eating. Do you want to wear the talit cloth or the yarmulke or keepa? Celebrating the holy days?

In my long path looking for God, I attended a Messianic Jewish church for a while. I didn’t wear the yarmulke/keepa (I may have misspelled those) but I did wear the talit cloth to services. I also learned a little Hebrew. I miss taking the Hebrew classes. I wish that I had finished. I also miss wearing the talit. I felt connected to Yeshua (Jesus) because he wore one, as probably did the Apostles. I am not Jewish by blood, so I would feel awkward wearing one to the Catholic church. Would that even be allowed? I also think it would be cool if we kept at least some of the holidays, except ones which have been replaced (Yom kippur essentially replaced by Easter.) I don’t know, I don’t think that God commands it, but how could it be bad to honor our roots if it’s for the right reasons?

On a side note, bells are awesome, but I’d love to see the addition of a shofar sometime.

I love the sound of the shofar. I guess I always pay attention to when the Jewish New Year is - Rosh Hashanah.

 

[thistle]

I’m aware of the contradictions that would result if I became a fully fledged Jew, for example, whether Christ was the Messiah, but I seem perfectly able to put these contradictions aside while fully worshiping God. I often feel 49% Jewish and 51% Catholic. Am I sinning, or would God approve such an endeavor?

If you practice Judaism as a Catholic you are rejecting the Church and would be in a state of mortal sin and committing heresy.
Therefore to answer your other question God would NOT approve.

 

[Gorgias]

No, I meant Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, because Easter is the Christian day of Atonement, except that it happened once for all.

Interesting perspective!

I think I would’ve said that there’s no holyday correspondence with Yom Kippur, but rather, a sacramental correspondence: Yom Kippur corresponds to the celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Yes, we time Easter with Passover because that is around the time he was crucified and he is also identified with the paschal lamb.

Again, interesting but not quite on point, IMHO. Passover would correspond to Holy Thursday – the Last Supper – during which Christ identified that He himself is the sacrifice of the new covenant, or perhaps Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

 

[ComplineSanFran]

I don’t know about “allowed,” but in Christendom it is considered bad form for a male to cover his head in Church.

ICXC NIKA

Well, I would say that in western culture, men take off their hats. But in the east, they keep them on. It is more cultural than religious.

And don’t forget that Bishops and Cardinals have head coverings in the sanctuary.

 

[Kaninchen]

I’m aware of the contradictions that would result if I became a fully fledged Jew, for example, whether Christ was the Messiah, but I seem perfectly able to put these contradictions aside while fully worshiping God. I often feel 49% Jewish and 51% Catholic. Am I sinning, or would God approve such an endeavor?

Judaism isn’t Christianity minus Jesus, Christianity isn’t Judaism plus Jesus. They are very different religions, they don’t ‘work’ the same way.

Christianity with a bit of ‘Judaica’ isn’t vaguely Judaism.

 

[newcalling]

Interesting perspective!

I think I would’ve said that there’s no holyday correspondence with Yom Kippur, but rather, a sacramental correspondence: Yom Kippur corresponds to the celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Again, interesting but not quite on point, IMHO. Passover would correspond to Holy Thursday – the Last Supper – during which Christ identified that He himself is the sacrifice of the new covenant, or perhaps Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

I definitely see your point about Yom Kippur, given the confession aspect of it, but I was thinking more of the sacrifice portion of it; ie, Yeshua is the “lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” replacing the annual sacrifice of Yom Kippur. I suppose the point is that we agree that for Christians, Yom Kippur is no longer needed in that way (we don’t need to offer lambs or pigeons.)

As to Passover and Holy Thursday/Good Friday, I see only a loose connection. Parallels are drawn to the sacrifice of Yeshua with the Passover lamb as well, and we know that the last supper took place during Passover (though scholars disagree as to if it was a seder) but there’s nothing I see directly that neccessitates replacing Passover with any part of the Lenten and Easter season. Anyway, it’s purely academic and I think that we’re getting off topic.

I’m still curious about what parts of Judaism the thread originator wants to follow, and I still don’t think that we need to discard all of the Jewish holidays. I also still like the talit cloth.

 

[StGerardMajella]

If you practice Judaism as a Catholic you are rejecting the Church and would be in a state of mortal sin and committing heresy.
Therefore to answer your other question God would NOT approve.

Hebrew Catholics are permitted to practice many aspects of Judaism and still remain Catholic. The Church permits them to retain their cultural and ethnic identity as Jews, and still remain Catholic.

We also need to be careful about terms. One can be ethnically Jewish, and not practicing the faith. Hence, you can have an ethnically Jewish person who is secular in outlook, or even practicing another faith.

Jesus practiced Judaism, as did the earliest disciples, and they did not “reject” the Church. I wouldn’t call the earliest Christians - most of whom were Jews - heretics.

We need to be careful with whom we are calling “heretics”. Our greatest earliest Church leaders - including Ss. Peter and Paul - were Jewish.

If you study the traditional Catholic Mass, a large portion of the liturgy is composed of ancient Jewish prayers still said by Jews even today. In fact, nearly every aspect of the Mass has an allusion to our earliest foundations in Judaism. Even the physical layout of the church can have allusions to the Temple in Jerusalem.

The church I attend has a remarkable painting of Mary holding Christ, with two large pillars to the right and left. If you look closely, it bears the resemblance of Mary holding Christ standing at the doors of the Temple in Jerusalem. You’d have to understand the layout of the Temple in Jerusalem to observe the allusion. Most Catholics attending the church probably never noticed.

The water font at the front of the church - an allusion to the water used in the copper fount before entering the Temple. The altar itself - an allusion to the sacrificial altar in Jerusalem. You get the idea. If you study our liturgy carefully, nearly every aspect can be traced back to Jewish roots, including communion, the sacristy, even the priestly vestments. All have roots in Judaism.

My point is that the Church has many elements of ancient Judaism already present, and most Catholics would never know this to be the case without a good understanding and knowledge of the roots of our faith. In many ways, Catholics are praying and practicing an ancient form of “Judaism” without realizing it.

 

[GEddie]

An extremely knowledgeable Padre once told me that even the architecture of a modern Catholic Church recreates the old Jerusalem Temple.

ICXC NIKA

 

[7_Sorrows]

Hebrew Catholics are permitted to practice many aspects of Judaism and still remain Catholic. The Church permits them to retain their cultural and ethnic identity as Jews, and still remain Catholic.

We also need to be careful about terms. One can be ethnically Jewish, and not practicing the faith. Hence, you can have an ethnically Jewish person who is secular in outlook, or even practicing another faith.

Jesus practiced Judaism, as did the earliest disciples, and they did not “reject” the Church. I wouldn’t call the earliest Christians - most of whom were Jews - heretics.

We need to be careful with whom we are calling “heretics”. Our greatest earliest Church leaders - including Ss. Peter and Paul - were Jewish.

If you study the traditional Catholic Mass, a large portion of the liturgy is composed of ancient Jewish prayers still said by Jews even today. In fact, nearly every aspect of the Mass has an allusion to our earliest foundations in Judaism. Even the physical layout of the church can have allusions to the Temple in Jerusalem.

The church I attend has a remarkable painting of Mary holding Christ, with two large pillars to the right and left. If you look closely, it bears the resemblance of Mary holding Christ standing at the doors of the Temple in Jerusalem. You’d have to understand the layout of the Temple in Jerusalem to observe the allusion. Most Catholics attending the church probably never noticed.

The water font at the front of the church - an allusion to the water used in the copper fount before entering the Temple. The altar itself - an allusion to the sacrificial altar in Jerusalem. You get the idea. If you study our liturgy carefully, nearly every aspect can be traced back to Jewish roots, including communion, the sacristy, even the priestly vestments. All have roots in Judaism.

My point is that the Church has many elements of ancient Judaism already present, and most Catholics would never know this to be the case without a good understanding and knowledge of the roots of our faith. In many ways, Catholics are praying and practicing an ancient form of “Judaism” without realizing it.

Excellent!