The pope’s latest statement about Jews follows his announcement that, two thousand years after the fact, we were not, in fact, to blame for killing Jesus. While this statement might reverse future anti-Semitism, it might be a bit too little, too late. Unfortunately, hatred towards the Jews for something we didn’t do is likely too deeply ingrained in many people. Also, while the pope is still the official source of Catholic doctrine, it’s likely people get their religious views from many places nowadays, not just the pope. Now, Benedict XVI has come out and said Jews shouldn’t be converted—but only because it will happen eventually without human aid.
According to the pope, it’s not that Christians shouldn’t, on principle, convert Jews, but that G-d will take care of it in His own time. He writes, ““Israel is in the hands of G-d, who will save it ‘as a whole’ at the proper time, when the number of Gentiles is full.” Therefore, has papal opinion towards the Jews really evolved that much? After all, the pope isn’t saying Jews are fine as we are; he maintains that there’s something lacking in Judaism, so that, even if Jews are not to be converted now, we will have to be eventually. Moreover, we still lack that key “gentile” proportion to be filled in the future.
Is this doctrine not almost as racist as past anti-Semitic dictates of popes past? The pope isn’t discouraging anti-Semitic action here or any notions of the Jews as an “inferior” people, just cautioning Christians to avoid converting them. The underlying notion of conversion being necessary remains.
As is unfortunately visible in recent media outlets, anti-Semitism is flaring its ugly head again. Designer John Galliano, Charlie Sheen, and others have come out in recent weeks with such biased remarks. Whether or not the pope officially absolves Jews of guilt in the killing of Jesus, does it really matter? Are the already-biased going to change their opinions? Where this really matters is in how it will be communicated to future generations of Catholic worshippers.
In Sunday school, will students still be taught that the Jewish people are to blame for killing Christ or will the pope’s doctrine be included in new prayers, rituals, and common belief? I don’t know that this will be done, even if it can be done. People are used to blaming the Jews for Jesus’s death; it’s likely they’ll continue to do so, regardless of what the pope says. Moreover, they will still likely try to convert Jews and bring them to the fold of Christianity. Old habits die hard; this is especially one that is unlikely to die down any time soon.
