Although the Catholic Church officially repudiated the concept in 1965, the pope puts his personal stamp on the matter in the second volume of his book series, Jesus of Nazareth, which covers the Holy Week period from Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to the Resurrection.” ( USA Today)
As a Presbyterian Church member, I urge that we use this Papal statement as a catalyst to action, a call to join our fellow Christians in this exoneration effort in our home churches.
To this end, several churches in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, have set precedent by including in their bulletins the acknowledgement of the negative portrayal of Judaism and Jews possible during Holy week and on Good Friday in the Passion Narratives. They include declarations that Jews as a people are not responsible for the death of Jesus; that they have not lost their covenant with God; and that Christianity has not replaced Judaism. It is that kind of effort that I write to support.
A passage from the paper presented at the General Assembly, “Christians and Jews: People of God” presents itself as a useful resource:
The relationship between Christian faith and Judaism is unique, foundational, and enduring. The New Testament bears consistent witness to this relationship – the mercy of God in Jesus Christ embraces both Jew and Gentile; it does not abandon Jews in favor of Gentiles or forsake Jews in favor of the church. Supersessionism, the belief that God’s covenant with the church has replaced God’s covenant with Israel, and that the church has supplanted the Jewish people, is contrary to the core witness of the New Testament and is not supported by the mainstream of the Reformed tradition.Unfavorable New Testament references to “the Jews” do not refer to all Jews of the first century, and certainly not of the twenty-first. While the New Testament contains numerous references to God’s “new covenant” in Christ, these cannot be taken to mean that “new” cancels God’s previous covenants.
Or, as Marilyn Salmon, associate professor of New Testament theology at United Theological Seminary, puts it, “ In the Gospel, there is no room for contempt.”
I believe we are called to an historical moment.
Ann Lewis is an elder in The House of Hope Presbyterian Church, St. Paul, Minnesota.
