Christians Ignorant of Real Magnitude of Anti-semitism, Prelate Says

Even well-educated Christians have almost “total ignorance” of the long history of anti-Semitism, a fact that complicates efforts to achieve better relations between Christians and Jews, it was emphasized at the Second Conference on Catholic-Jewish Understanding held at Boston College.

Father Edward H. Flannery, editor of the Providence Catholic “Visitor,” told the 80 representatives of Boston Jewish and Catholic communities that “at most” the Christian has heard of an occasional pogrom and of Hitler’s annihilation of Jews. For the rest, “he believes that, that Jew exaggerates and is too persecution-minded.”

The prelate added that the Jew, “painfully aware of the magnitude of the violence and oppressions visited upon his people, cannot understand the Christian indifference” and interprets it “as a warning that these may recommence at any time.”

Urging Catholic and Jewish co-responsibility to correct the errors of the past, he added: “The Christian has been unable to understand the Jew or his position in the world and has thus left himself open to anti-Jewish attitudes and feelings. The Jew, similarly, has been uncomprehending of Christians but most of all, of their hatred of Jews.”

To help resolve the problems created by such differences in knowledge, Father Flannery proposed that the first step would be to equalize knowledge, to establish recognition of the historical basis of anti-Semitism and reveal its nature and causes. He declared that even Popes, Saints and Church fathers have had a role in anti-Semitism and that therefore the job of understanding its history and ravages is one primarily for Christians.

Rabbi Balfour Brickner, director of the Commission on Interfaith Activities of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, told the conference that American Jews were worried “that growing secularism in American life,” was threatening “the continued existence of religion.”

Robert E. Segal, executive director of the Jewish Community Council of Boston, said that the need for confrontation of these issues at a parish and congregational level was much in evidence. He also said that more imaginative interfaith understanding programs needed to be developed for both Christian and Jewish religious schools. The conference was sponsored jointly by the JCC and the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith.