Saturday, January 19, 2008

Why Do the Hebrews Rage?

And why does the Vicar of Christ feel the need to accomodate them ─ Pope to change controversial prayer on Jews: report?

The "controversial prayer" from the Tridentine Good Friday Liturgy is quoted here ─ Do Not Make Me a Gentile. The title is taken from this apparently non-controversial prayer "recited every day by Orthodox and Conservative Jews:"
    Baruch atah Hashem Elokenu melech haolam, shelo asani goy...
    Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, who did not make me a Gentile.
Here's what traditionalist Catholics pray not three times a day but once a year:
    Let us pray also for the Jews: that our God and Lord would remove the veil from their hearts: that they also may acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ.
    Let us pray.
    Let us kneel down.
    Arise.
    Almighty and everlasting God, Who drivest not away from Thy mercy even the Jews: hear our prayers which we offer for the blindness of that people: that acknowledging the light of Thy truth, which is Christ, they may be rescued from their darkness. Through the same our Lord.
    Amen.
The conclusion? "The Tridentine Good Friday liturgy prays for the conversion of the Jews. The Jews thank God they are not gentiles. What's the problem?"

Let us remember what was said by Francis Cardinal George to the Jews regarding this controversy:
    Maybe this is an opening to say, 'Would you care to look at some of the Talmudic literature's description of Jesus as a bastard, and so on, and maybe make a few changes in some of that?'
Or perhaps we all could just learn not to busy ourselves with each others' prayers.

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Omnes Sancti et Sanctæ Coreæ, orate pro nobis.