All my misgivings about Rome's Chief Rabbi have returned - I gave him the benefit of the doubt during the Pope's visit to the Synagogue, when he had seemed, apart from a couple of statements in his speech, to have been a gracious host on the whole. After all, he had apparently worked to have the visit take place despite objections from some in his community. But his statements since then have returned to his more familiar bellicose and unnecessarily provocative, often offensive, persona.
Rome's Chief Rabbi more offensive
than ever - now finds fault with
John Paul's reference to the Jews
as 'older brothers' in the faith
ROME, January 26 (Translated from Apcom) - "If peace with the Lefebvrians means renouncing the openings made by Vatican II, the Church should choose - us [the Jews] or them [the Lefbevrians]!"
This was declared by the Chief Rabbi of Rome, Riccardo Di Segni, in an interview with the monthly magazine
Il consulente Re in the issue that came out today, eve of the World Day to commemorate The Holocaust.
[The statement is offensive, and completely and unnecessarily provocative, because it rests on two wrong premises: 1) How many times does Benedict XVI have to say that the teaching of Vatican-II, particularly with regard to the Jews, is 'irrevocable'? - so Di Segni's scenario that the Church would 'renounce' such teachings is highly improbable if not downright impossible; and 2) There is no 'either-or' here for the Church. The Pope reaching out to the Lefebvrians has nothing to do with the Church's position on the Jews since Nostra aetate. The burden is with the Lefebvrians to accept the teachings of Vatican-II that they wish clarified.]
In this regard, Di Segni recalled the statement he made at the Synagogue referring to the 'opening' of Vatican-II: "If it should ever come under question, then there will be no more possibility of dialog."
[Which was already a gratuitous comment then.]
The rabbi now explains: "It was a last minute addition, after the Pope remarks to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the morning of January 15 - when there was a strange opening to the Lefebvrians."
[First of all, the Pope said exactly one sentence about the Lefebvrians on that occasion, preceded by a general statement about Christian unity:
Arriving at a common testimonial to faith by all Christians thus constitutes the priority of the Church in every age, in order to lead all men to an encounter with God.
In this spirit, I have particular confidence in the dicastery's commitment to overcome the doctrinal problems that remain before the Fraternity of St. Pius X can return to full communion with the Church.
What is strange is how the above sentence can ring any alarm bells at all, and why Di Segni should consider it 'a strange opening to the Lefebvrians' since it doesn't say one iota more or less than what Benedict XVI has made known since he met with Mons. Fellay in September 2005.]
In general, Di Segni adds, the path ahead for Jews and Catholics "will be troubled without a doubt, but that it is irreversible is a hope".
As for the formulation made by John Paul II to describe the Jews as "our older brothers", Di Segni says: "This definition is very ambiguous from the theological point of view, because 'older brothers' in the Bible - and I discussed this in my speech at the Synagogue - are the 'bad ones', those who claim the advantage of being firstborn... And so, to speak of 'older brothers' means, theologically, to say: "You were once, but now that does not mean anything!"
[This is perhaps the most unexpected and unforgivable statement made by Di Segni - to ascribe anything but good will and authentic deference to John Paul II when he used those words 'our older brothers', whose sense was very clear and unique - that Jews recognized and accepted the one God long before there were Christians! After 25 years, someone from among the Jews suddenly levels this absurd charge against the man they have elevated almost to a special cult precisely because of the affection and deference embodied in those words!]
His references to the series of brothers in the Bible in which the older one was the 'bad' one, Di Segni claims, struck the Pope: "
From the hieratic pose which he had held from the start of the ceremony, he started to show great interest".
['Hieratic pose', 'started to show great interest'! - You would think the Pope had come to the Synagogue as some condescending figure, who only 'started to show great interest' because Di Segni had said something provocative! Anyone who watched the telecast can belie that! And who's the really condescending one here?]
"Also, at the end of my speech, he told me the argument was very important, and he deMonstrated this again during our private conversation."
At the end, Di Segni praised the Sant'Egidio Community: "They provide a beautiful example of collaboration. They have been fundamental in that they did all they could to promote this visit - they did a lot to salvage it during the moment of crisis"
[After the Holy Father proclaimed the heroic virtues of Pius XII.]
If one were to be as malicious as Di Segni habitually is, one would say that he is being an agent provocateur/agitpropmeister to keep Jewish causes alive, especially the Shoah, and where Catholics are concerned, Pius XII and a barely concealed skepticism about Catholic goodwill and sincerity towards the Jews - for instance, always casting doubt on Benedict XVI's sincerity - for all his avowals of hope, blahblahblah...
To put it more bluntly, he is constantly headline-baiting, as though to say something inflammatory about Benedict XVI, Pius XII or the Church in general were the one sure way for him - and his causes - to get into the news at all. How otherwise could a community of 40,000 call attention to itself in a nation of 60 million?
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 27/01/2010 02:59]