You make me want to go back to the New Testament sources on the subject and maybe try to find some of the extra-biblical writings about it too and reexamine them from this perspective. Whether right or wrong, my impression had been that the Judaizers combined the Christian emphasis on personal salvation with the Jewish insistence on following the Mosaic Law, and so did in effect assert that observing the Law was required for salvation. Anyway, we know for certain that not only did they urge Jewish Christians to continue to observe the Law, but at least some of them went to newly evangelized Greek Christians and told them they needed to be circumcised and follow the Law too, causing great confusion among Greek Christians that the Apostles then had to sort out.
Ok, but for the record the answer is no, a person who is both a Jew and a convert to Catholicism is not under the Old Law.Thanks again all for your wisdom. Sad to say I am still confused. I though Jew was a race and Judaism was a religion? You could be one or both? If you are both and convert to Catholicism why would you stay under the old law? I think I will just stick to prayer and leave apologetics alone for a while
St. Paul also tells us that scripture is not for private interpretation. Our interpretation is meaningless. The only interpretation valid is that of the Church. The Church says that we must understand ecclesiology in order to understand this quote.
Vatican II teaching on Judaism is binding as doctrine.
Israel Anton Zoller may be deemed to be a good Catholic but he was he was very bad Jew from every perspective. He changed his name to Zolli so it would sound more Italian. His views toward Zionism changed according to whatever he judged to be the dominant popular trend at the moment. He received advanced warning of the planned Nazi action against the Jewish community. Instead of warning the Jewish community and as Chief Rabbi standing with them and leading the community, he abandoned them and ran off to hide in the Vatican. He negligently did not destroy the registry of the Jewish community in his procession. As a result it fell into Nazi hands facilitating the roundup of Rome’s Jews to the gas chambers. With the liberation of Rome he emerged from hiding in the Vatican thinking he would resume his duties as Chief Rabbi as if nothing had happened. Rebuffed by the surviving Jews in the community, who refused to let him resume his duties as Chief Rabbi, he responded by converting to Catholicism (an act which in Judaism cuts him off forever from God and the Jewish people).
Maimonides (the Rambam) discusses in Hilcot Tshuva the fourteen ways a Jew may lose his share in the world to come. One of the ways stated is tn the denying of the coming of the Messiah.
Thanks for the interesting information about the former Rabbi, whose story I was totally unfamiliar with. However, I’m not so sure about your final phrase: “an act which in Judaism cuts him off forever from G-d and the Jewish people.” According to my understanding of the laws of Cherem for voluntary apostates (Jewish excommunication, which in meaning differs from Catholic excommunication, since the former is indeed a punishment), there is still the possibility of return to Judaism. Further, I don’t think these laws state that the person is technically no longer Jewish although he may be shunned by Jewish society with respect to certain participatory social roles and, regarding Israel, may no longer have the right of return. One of the reasons for this, according to what I’ve read, is that since the Sacraments of Catholicism, particularly baptism, are not valid according to halakha, the converted Jew remains Jewish. (At the same time, I realize many Orthodox Jews sit shiva for a relative who converts, itself thought by some to be a misinterpretation of a Talmudic passage.) Finally, I seriously doubt such an individual is forever cut off from G-d. That would be contrary to the Jewish belief in redemption for one’s sins.
It’s not Christian claims. It’s the word of Almighty God Himself.
To be fair, chosen people did preface his statement with the words: “From the Jewish perspective.”
Yes, and I wanted to make it clear that the issue is with the claims of Jesus Christ Himself.
Kelca,
J,St. Clare of Assisi once told our Holy Father Francis, “If Catholics worried as much for their own souls as they worry about the souls of Muslims and Jews, there may be some hope for them.”
Fraternally,
Br. JR, FFV