Jewish-Catholic dialogue rejects coercive proselytism
December 01, 2009
Participants in the latest dialogue between the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Council of Synagogues agreed to reject a coercive or manipulative proselytism. “Any effort to lead a person to faith that tramples on human freedom betrays a lack of respect for human dignity,” Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta said
Catholic participants in the dialogue affirmed the duty of Christians to witness to Jesus Christ. Rejecting “forced, manipulative, coercive, intimidating, and cajoling” proselytism, Father Arthur Kennedy of St. John’s Seminary in Massachusetts said that a Christian’s “commitment to witness means uniting one’s life with Jesus Christ, even sacrificing one’s life as a martyr.”
Participants also discussed the recent controversy over the US bishops’ June “Note on Some Ambiguities in Reflections on Covenant and Mission.” Following complaints from some Jewish leaders, the bishops deleted the following sentence from the note: “Though Christian participation in interreligious dialogue would not normally include an explicit invitation to baptism and entrance into the Church, the Christian dialogue partner is always giving witness to the following of Christ, to which all are implicitly invited.”
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Further information:
- Jewish-Catholic Dialogue Rejects Coercion In Matters Of Faith (USCCB)
- US bishops issue statement on Catholic-Jewish dialogue, will alter ‘Doctrinal Ambiguities’ text (CWN, 10/7/09)
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Dec. 01, 2009 8:46 PM ET USA
This statement is nothing more or less than what the Church has preached forever. Conversion must be a free act of the will. When almost all the Spanish Jews were converted in the middle ages, it was because of the strength of the witness, not coercion. For that act of courage on the part of the preachers, we can be thankful, for it gave us Teresa of Avila when we needed her. May all of our Jewish elder siblings come to faith in Yeshua Messiah.
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Posted by: -
Dec. 01, 2009 3:31 PM ET USA
What in the world does accepting martyrdom have to do with abjuring 'cajoling' proselytism?
