By Rabbi Howard Joseph

The question of how to relate to non-Jews, Catholics in particular, is a longstanding one with both halachic and hashkafic elements. Recent moves by various Catholic leaders, including both the late and the current Pope, seem to pave the way for a time of greater collegiality and cooperation between the members of the two religions. On the other hand, the voluminous halachic and hashkafic literature regarding Catholicism will, in the eyes of at least some, stand in the way of anything but the most cautious involvement.

Torah Currents believes the topic deserves extended consideration, from all sides of the Orthodox spectrum. As a first step in thinking about the issue, we present Rabbi Howard Joseph’s writings about the late Pope, in the hope that readers and writers will use his ideas as a starting point for sharing their own, allowing us as a community to explore where we do and don’t feel comfortable adjusting our perspective of Catholicism in the twentieth first century.

The recent passing of the Bishop of Rome, who Catholics call the Pope, attracted worldwide interest. In his many years as Pope, John Paul II traveled the world and was exceedingly popular among the masses.
Many Jews and Jewish organizations, including the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) [http://www.rabbis.org/news/article.cfm?id=100588] made statements of recognition at the time of his passing. This was probably the first time that such an event had provoked so many praises from Jews. What, if any, are the Halakhic guidelines for this situation? Should Jews be interested in or comment on the life or death of the leader of another faith?
I cannot here enter the whole area of the status of the Catholicism in particular or Christianity in general in the eyes of Halakhah. There are numerous treatments of this in our history. However, this discussion may even be irrelevant in our case because the issues are not necessarily contingent upon the status of Christianity in Halakhah.
The issues are more apparently located in those areas such as Darkhei Shalom – the ways of Peace, Darkhei Noam– the ways of pleasantness, preventing Eyvah – hostility, and maybe even Pikuah Nefesh –the safety and security of Jews.. As we shall see this Pope reached out to Jews with a spirit of humility and friendship like no other in recorded history. To reject that gesture would certainly be a way of provoking hostility towards Jews from the 1.2 billion Catholics of the world. It would not be in keeping with the imperatives of Darkhei Shalom, Darkhei Noam and concerns for Pikuah Nefesh, the security and safety of Jews throughout the world.

“God of our fathers,
You chose Abraham and his descendants
To bring Your name to the nations;
We are deeply saddened
By the behavior of those
Who in the course of history
Have caused these children of Yours to suffer
And asking Your forgiveness
We wish to commit ourselves
To genuine brotherhood
With the people of the Covenant.”

On March 26, 2000, Pope John Paul II visited Jerusalem as part of the millennium celebrations. For many Jews it was a special moment, another step in the process of reconciliation that began in 1965 with the declaration Nostre Aetate. When he came to the Western Wall, remnant of the ancient Jerusalem Temple, he placed the above prayer in a crevice in the wall as Jews have done for centuries. This act crowned his lifelong commitment to furthering Catholic- Jewish understanding. The Pope’s prayer struck the major themes of his thoughts on Jews and Judaism: that Christians share with Jews reverence and worship of the same God, the common ancestry of Abraham to all who look to the Bible for inspiration, the unjust suffering directed against Jews over the millennia and the need for forgiveness for Christians and others who caused this suffering, the need to resolve to improve one’s future behavior in order to achieve genuine repentance, and, finally, recognition of Jews as the continuing people of God’s ongoing and eternal Covenant.
His interest in Catholic Jewish reconciliation began long before he became Pope. Many stories are told by Jews of how as a young man he helped defend them from antisemitic attacks. The Holocaust experience convinced this talented young man to enter the priesthood and a most inspiring story is told is told of a Jewish couple in the Krakow ghetto that entrusted their son to a childless Polish Catholic couple during the Holocaust in order to save him from the Germans. When the war was over the boy’s parents returned to reclaim their son but the adoptive parents wished to keep him and brought him to a young priest to be baptized. The young priest learned that the orphan’s Jewish parents had asked that he be returned to them and to his Jewish faith and refused to baptize the boy. This was a startling departure from millennia of eager conversion of Jews even under the most trying circumstances. That priest, Karol Wojtyla, became Pope John Paul II.
His remarkable dedication to this process as Pope included an historic visit to the central Synagogue of Rome where he delivered a wonderful address in which he called the Jews the ‘elder brothers’ of the Church referring to the fact that God’s covenant was first established, maintained and continued with the Jewish people.
In the course of his travels to visit Catholic believers throughout the world he insisted on meeting with local Jews as well, often with inspired words of greeting in the same spirit.
Among his major declarations was a condemnation of antisemitism as a sin against the Church and sensitive acknowledgement of the suffering of Jews throughout the ages and in the Holocaust for which he used the Hebrew term Shoah.
Pope John Paul II understood the importance to Jews of the rebirth of the State of Israel and courageously recognized the state in 1994. The visit in 2000 made a deep impact upon Israeli and Diaspora Jews and led to a permanent liaison committee being established between the Israel Chief Rabbinate and the Vatican.
The Pope’s efforts in this trajectory of reconciliation are today much appreciated by Jews. Some of us remember the suspicion of some leading rabbis in the early 1960’s when Vatican II was meeting to discuss its new approaches to other religions and to Jews in particular. Concern was expressed that these efforts might be part of the 2000 year-old attempt to convince Jews to convert. Caution was advised. Where would this lead? Well, in the hands of John Paul II who as Bishop Karol Wojtyla was a participant in the process the effort has led to greater mutual understanding and respect between Jews and all Christians. It is safe to say that while antisemitism does continue, the Church in particular – and Christianity in general – are no longer sources of antisemitism.
Jews also admire his genuine piety and warm embrace of humanity. He lifted up the image of religion in our modern sceptical and cynical world by his moral challenges to all societies to improve the lot of their citizens. He boldly confronted the former Soviet Union which eventually collapsed under his and others’ withering criticisms. We now know how fearful the Soviets were of him for it appears that they were directly behind the assassination attempt on his life in 1981.
The Pope inspired his faithful and many others with his profound philosophical responses to the issues of faith in modern times. He addressed questions of science and faith as well as the proper economic order. Before his reign there had not been such a thorough treatment of modernity from the Papacy. He understood modernity and that it was here to stay. It could not be ignored and wished away. Religious doctrine and guidance must be offered to those who live in the real modern world.
Finally, he reached out to leaders of all the major faiths of the world. He seemed to be saying that only through harmony among religions could religion survive the threats of the modern world. The major threats to religions were not other religions but the secular materialism that has penetrated modern life often leading to degrading conduct and alienating humanity from God. All religions must respond to this menace.
Of course, Jews realize that not all Catholics were satisfied with his conservative impulses on many internal issues facing the Church. But this is not our struggle and must be left to Catholics to decide for themselves. As a great leader of our times he succeeded in so many areas and may have failed in some, as we all must do. His Church grew in numbers, strength and morale and he exerted a profound spiritual and moral influence in the world. That is certainly a eulogy to which any leader or individual would aspire.
May he rest in peace.

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