Xenos the Elder
04-06-2005, 12:21 PM
THE PROMOTION OF ANTI-SEMITISM BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
The roots of the Holocaust:
The Holocaust was built on a foundation of centuries of anti-Jewish
hatred mainly promoted by the Roman Catholic Church, by the Protestant
Churches, and to a lesser degree by the Eastern Orthodox churches. This
religious hatred and intolerance was primarily created and maintained by
Christian synods, councils, popes, cardinals, theologians, etc. until
the 19th century. Since that time, anti-semitism -- hatred of Jews based
on race -- has been a cooperative effort involving some religious,
secular and government individuals and institutions.
Hans Küng, a leading Catholic theologian, has written that "Nazi
anti-Judaism was the work of godless, anti-Christian criminals. But it
would not have been possible without the almost two thousand years'
pre-history of 'Christian' anti-Judaism..." 1
Many regard the church itself to be at fault and responsible for much of
the anti-Judaism, and later anti-semitism, which led to the Holocaust.
However, the Roman Catholic church teaches that the church itself has
always been pure and without fault. They believe that it was created by
Christ and is maintained by God, free of error. They believe that it is
only individual church members and leaders who have sinned.
------------------------
Current beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church:
As stated above, there were two beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church
which formed the foundation for centuries of crimes against humanity,
directed against the Jewish people. Both foundations have been abandoned:
bullet Supercessionism: This is the concept that, in the first century
CE, God had rejected the Jews and revoked his covenants with them. The
Church taught that God did this in response to the rejection of the
Gospel by most Jews during Jesus' life and after his execution. Although
many Jews formed the Jewish Christian movement centered in Jerusalem,
most continued to favor the Torah and the religion of their ancestors,
that God had called them to honor.
Under the topic "The Church and non-Christians," the Roman Catholic
Catechism now acknowledges the special and irrevocable relationship
between God and the Jewish people. 16 Section 839 states that Jews were
"the first to hear the Word of God." The Jewish faith "is already a
response to God's revelation...To the Jews 'belong the sonship, the
glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the
promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to
the flesh, is the Christ...for the gifts and the call of God are
irrevocable." [Emphasis ours].
However, the Catholic Church does not accept Judaism and Roman
Catholicism as equal paths to salvation. They teach that salvation only
comes from the church. A church document Dominus Iesus, states that
members of other religions, including Judaism, are "gravely deficient"
relative to members of the Church of Christ who already have direct
access to "the fullness of the means of salvation." 17
bullet Translated responsibility: This was the principle that all Jews,
from the first century onwards, share responsible for Jesus' execution.
This concept was rejected by the church's Second Vatican Council. The
Council's "Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian
religions: Nostra Aetate," states: "True, the Jewish authorities and
those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ;...still,
what happened in His passion cannot be charged against all the Jews,
without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today." 18
Unfortunately, this passage is followed by a statement that seems to
suggest that belief in supercessionism is not quite dead in the Church:
"Although the Church is the new people of God, the Jews should not be
presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the
Holy Scriptures." [Emphasis ours].
Nostra Aetae continues with an unconditional denunciation on those who
promote Antisemitism and persecutions of Jews, in unusually direct
language: "Furthermore, in her rejection of every persecution against
any man, the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews
and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel's spiritual love,
decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed
against Jews at any time and by anyone."
--------------------------------------------------------
http://www.religioustolerance.org/vat_hol1.htm
The roots of the Holocaust:
The Holocaust was built on a foundation of centuries of anti-Jewish
hatred mainly promoted by the Roman Catholic Church, by the Protestant
Churches, and to a lesser degree by the Eastern Orthodox churches. This
religious hatred and intolerance was primarily created and maintained by
Christian synods, councils, popes, cardinals, theologians, etc. until
the 19th century. Since that time, anti-semitism -- hatred of Jews based
on race -- has been a cooperative effort involving some religious,
secular and government individuals and institutions.
Hans Küng, a leading Catholic theologian, has written that "Nazi
anti-Judaism was the work of godless, anti-Christian criminals. But it
would not have been possible without the almost two thousand years'
pre-history of 'Christian' anti-Judaism..." 1
Many regard the church itself to be at fault and responsible for much of
the anti-Judaism, and later anti-semitism, which led to the Holocaust.
However, the Roman Catholic church teaches that the church itself has
always been pure and without fault. They believe that it was created by
Christ and is maintained by God, free of error. They believe that it is
only individual church members and leaders who have sinned.
------------------------
Current beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church:
As stated above, there were two beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church
which formed the foundation for centuries of crimes against humanity,
directed against the Jewish people. Both foundations have been abandoned:
bullet Supercessionism: This is the concept that, in the first century
CE, God had rejected the Jews and revoked his covenants with them. The
Church taught that God did this in response to the rejection of the
Gospel by most Jews during Jesus' life and after his execution. Although
many Jews formed the Jewish Christian movement centered in Jerusalem,
most continued to favor the Torah and the religion of their ancestors,
that God had called them to honor.
Under the topic "The Church and non-Christians," the Roman Catholic
Catechism now acknowledges the special and irrevocable relationship
between God and the Jewish people. 16 Section 839 states that Jews were
"the first to hear the Word of God." The Jewish faith "is already a
response to God's revelation...To the Jews 'belong the sonship, the
glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the
promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to
the flesh, is the Christ...for the gifts and the call of God are
irrevocable." [Emphasis ours].
However, the Catholic Church does not accept Judaism and Roman
Catholicism as equal paths to salvation. They teach that salvation only
comes from the church. A church document Dominus Iesus, states that
members of other religions, including Judaism, are "gravely deficient"
relative to members of the Church of Christ who already have direct
access to "the fullness of the means of salvation." 17
bullet Translated responsibility: This was the principle that all Jews,
from the first century onwards, share responsible for Jesus' execution.
This concept was rejected by the church's Second Vatican Council. The
Council's "Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian
religions: Nostra Aetate," states: "True, the Jewish authorities and
those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ;...still,
what happened in His passion cannot be charged against all the Jews,
without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today." 18
Unfortunately, this passage is followed by a statement that seems to
suggest that belief in supercessionism is not quite dead in the Church:
"Although the Church is the new people of God, the Jews should not be
presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the
Holy Scriptures." [Emphasis ours].
Nostra Aetae continues with an unconditional denunciation on those who
promote Antisemitism and persecutions of Jews, in unusually direct
language: "Furthermore, in her rejection of every persecution against
any man, the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews
and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel's spiritual love,
decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed
against Jews at any time and by anyone."
--------------------------------------------------------
http://www.religioustolerance.org/vat_hol1.htm
