DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE'S COMMISSION FOR RELIGIOUS RELATIONS
WITH THE JEWS AND THE GREAT RABBINATE OF ISRAEL

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The dialogue between the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and the Great Rabbinate of Israel can be considered within the framework of recent developments in relations between Jews and Christians. The establishment of the Great Rabbinate as the highest religious authority dates back to the Ottoman Empire, when the Great Rabbi (Sephardic) acted before the Sultan as spokesman for the Jewish community. The Great Rabbinate currently comprises five permanent members and two chief rabbis (one Sephardic and one Ashkenazi). This structure was established under the English authorities prior to the creation of the State of Israel. The Rabbinate is the authority for the halakha of the state; its jurisdiction overs marriages, divorces, burial, kosher certification, and the custody of various Jewish holy sites.

The first contacts between the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and the Great Rabbinate of Israel date to 5 June 2002, when two delegations met in Jerusalem to outline the organization of the dialogue and themes for discussion. This preparatory meeting was not made public in order to avoid speculation on the part of the mass–media. Since then yearly meetings have been held, with the exception of 2009, between the delegations of the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and the Great Rabbinate, comprising a restricted number of members (six or seven for each delegation). The meeting was cancelled by the Jewish side in 2009 following the revocation of the excommunication of the negationist bishop Richard Williamson. After clarification by the Catholic side, particularly the speech of Benedict XVI on 12 March, the meetings have regularly resumed.

John Paul II considered the dialogue between rabbis and Catholics to be a sign of great hope. The joint declarations following several meetings has demonstrated the will to further deepen the rich shared spiritual heritage of Jews and Christians; each is enriched and learns from the other, reinforcing one’s own identity precisely through contact with the other. The dialogue between the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and the Great Rabbinate of Israel should be considered a milestone in the dialogue between Jews and Christians