This nonsense about the one true church needs to stop. Who are we to claim we have the true faith? Instead we should be proclaiming the truth of all religions. The Catholic Church has almost gotten there. If only those pesky traditionalists would stop proclaiming it the one true church and that all are in need of conversion. After all, all roads lead to the same place.
If we are called to make disciples of all the nations, then surely that would lead to the extinction of all other faiths? We are called to being all people into the one true Church. Or did Christ not actually mean what he said.
There is the difference between proselytising and evangelising to be considered. One focuses on what divides and the other focuses on what unifies. The Church is focusing on what unifies us and building on those aspects to bring about the fullness of the one true Church.
If we are called to make disciples of all the nations, then surely that would lead to the extinction of all other faiths? We are called to being all people into the one true Church. Or did Christ not actually mean what he said.
So does that mean we should ignore Christ since that is what divides us? How can you evangelize without focusing on what divides us? Should we ignore tradition when talking to a Protestant?
Pushing aside our differences and downplaying their importance is false ecumenism. This leads to indifferentism.
Have you ever run away from somebody trying to " convert" you ?
I have.There are different ways to try to convert people. An ‘in your face’ doctrinal approach is not always the best, but neither is an over-enthusiastic ‘Jesus loves you’ approach always the best. I have found that intellectual discussions on beliefs and doctrine does often engage people (Muslims and atheists seem to like to engage in these sort of discussions). But people will not appreciate it if we downplay differences, skirt around them and pretend they aren’t really that important, when they actually are important. People appreciate honesty and we need to be complely honest and upfront about our Faith. People will often be very aware of much of what the Church teaches regarding such things and we will not impress them by trying to avoid contentious issues. That is my experience from the little bit of street evangelisation thst I am involved in.
Perhaps this is because the relationship between Judaism and Christianity has been problematic at times and because supersessionist claims (in which one faith – Christianity – is thought to have replaced the other) aided in environments ripe for genocide against Jews in the past. Perhaps this is because in the past, Jews have been targeted as a group because of their identity as Jews and conversion efforts must therefore be more mindful. Perhaps this is because members of the Church’s hierarchy are involved in actual dialogues with members of the Jewish faith and, having engaged in ongoing conversations post-Nostra Aetate, this is their best recommendation. Whatever the case, in both current forms of the Good Friday prayer, Jews are encouraged to grow closer in their relationships with God. Members of the Jewish community have noted the difficulty they have with the EF form of the prayer (again, perhaps because Judaism’s past is riddled with examples of groups attempting to strip away their Jewish identity or exterminate Jews wholesale because of this identity). Ignoring this reaction also ignores Nostra Aetate and those within the Church’s hierarchy who have undertaken ongoing discussions of this document since 1965.
I think you summed this up perfectly, gracepoole. Thank you very much.
Do these recommendations for part of Magisterial teaching? Are they binding upon the Faithful? Or are they simply the opinions of an ecumenical gathering of bishops and rabbis?
Let’s assume it’s the latter. If so, these aren’t simply baseless opinions. They’re the informed opinions of bishops who have worked and are working closely with members of another faith. Dismissing them lightly would be both rash and foolhardy.
Nowhere do these committee’s statements claim anything else. What **is **being discussed is the kind of outreach methods that are appropriate. Welcoming individual conversions, yes. Sweeping, targeting campaigns, no.
Nostra Aetate isn’t being “thrown about.” It’s being referenced because it instructs the faithful on the appropriate view of Jews and Jewish-Catholic relations. As I noted earlier, “Ignoring [the reactions of members of the Jewish faith] also ignores Nostra Aetate and those within the Church’s hierarchy who have undertaken ongoing discussions of this document since 1965.” Nostra Aetate calls for a fraternal relationship between Judaism and Christianity. How this is accomplished and the nature of this relationship is what’s been undertaken by the Bishops Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. As its reflections document states, “The gifts brought by the Holy Spirit to the Church through the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate continue to unfold.”
The Committee received it’s instructions in Dominus Jesus.
Dominus Jesus 22
If you really want to go there, youll find some of the worst persecution of jews s undertaken by the orthodox Church
How is that relevant? Why point out things the orthodox may have done in a discussion that has nothing to do with the orthodox?
Multiple posters have noted in multiple ways that the Church accepts Christ’s call to convert non-Catholics. No one here has denied this goal – or been embarrassed or offended by it, as has been suggested by others. No one here has called for the Good Friday prayer for the Jews to be scrapped in its entirety. Once again: the issue is one of language.
The issue with the prayer is that it is for the conversion of the Jews.
He mentioned the catholic church has “slaughtered Jews for centuries” I was merely pointing out that historically the orthodox church has treated jews just as badly if not worse
And they say no one understands Latin.
Here, again, is the text of the prayer in English, could you please reference the part(s) that you find to be problematic