Papal Encyclical on Conversion Not Aimed at Jews, but Troubling

Pope John Paul II’s recent call for more active efforts to convert non-Christians to Roman Catholicism does not seem to be a mandate to convert Jews, say Jewish specialists on interfaith affairs.

But according to Jewish and Catholic leaders, the papal encyclical raises some troubling questions that require clarification.

The encyclical, which carries the highest level of papal authority, is titled “Redemptoris Missio” (The Church’s Missionary Mandate).

It reportedly was issued in response to the weakened position of missionary work as a central Christian goal and the rapid growth of Islam in areas in the Middle East and Africa that were once strongholds of Christianity.

It also was prompted by barriers placed in the way of church work in Asia and the rise of Protestant denominations in Latin America, where fundamentalist groups are targeting Catholic audiences, according to Sister Mary Boys, a Catholic theologian and associate professor of theology at Boston College.

The encyclical refers “to the mission adgentes,” or “to gentiles,” a term that has its roots in the Christian Bible and literally means “to the nations,” but is usually used in church circles to mean non-Christians and non-Jews.

The Vatican’s position on Jews since the Second Vatican Council’s “Nostra Aetate” statement of 1965 has been that the Jewish people maintain a special relationship with God and that God’s covenant with the Jews has not been revoked.

Since the latest encyclical mentions Moslems, Buddhists and Hindus but does not specifically mention Jews, Jewish leaders in interfaith dialogue are not worried about Jews being targeted for an overt missionary campaign.

“The Vatican-Jewish dialogue of the past 25 years since ‘Nostra Aetate’ has given no evidence of a Catholic intent to convert the Jewish people,” said Rabbi Jack Bemporad, chairman of the Synagogue Council of America’s Interreligious Affairs Committee.

STANCE ON INTERFAITH DIALOGUE UNCLEAR

But some Jewish leaders are concerned about statements in the encyclical, such as one saying that “interreligious dialogue is a part of the church evangelizing mission.”

The encyclical goes into some detail about the need for interreligious dialogue while insisting there is “no conflict between proclaiming Christ and engaging in interreligious dialogue.”

“These two elements must maintain both their intimate connection and their distinctiveness; therefore, they should not be confused, manipulated or regarded as identical, as though they were interchangeable,” the encyclical says.

The document is not clear on the relationship between dialogue and evangelization, Rabbi A. James Rudin, national director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee, said in a statement issued after a preliminary reading of the encyclical.

He said the encyclical does not answer whether it is “possible to fully affirm one’s own unique and sacred religious tradition without seeking, either actively or passively, the conversion of those who do not share that tradition.”

The Rev. Michael McGarry, rector of St. Paul’s College in Washington and an expert on missionizing, agreed that “the tension is there” between the papal call to evangelize and interfaith dialogue.

Rudin called for the development of a theological commitment by the church to religious pluralism among peoples of all faiths, in order to provide a firm basis for interreligious dialogue.

“As we are in a more turbulent religious era with factionalism and extremism, we need a theological commitment to religious pluralism more than ever.

“If we are not careful, we could end up with theological warfare between religions,” he said. But, Rudin added, “this encyclical will not contribute to that war.”