Washington D.C., Oct 8, 2009 / 04:18 am
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago and four other bishops have issued a "Statement of Principles" for Catholic-Jewish Dialogue, saying a recent clarifying document would be amended to remove misunderstanding about the purpose of inter-religious dialogue.
Cardinal George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued the October 2 statement in response to an August 18 letter from Jewish leaders. They had expressed concern about the June 18 USCCB document "A Note on Ambiguities Contained in ‘Reflections on Covenant and Mission.’"
They were specifically concerned about the note’s seventh paragraph. They believed that section had formally characterized Catholic-Jewish dialogue as an explicit or implicit invitation to Jews to abandon their faith.
In a USCCB explanatory letter dated Oct. 5, the bishops said that the note was intended as a clarification primarily for Catholics but led to "misunderstandings and feelings of hurt among members of the Jewish community." The note will be amended by the removal of two sentences that "might lead to misunderstanding about the purpose of interreligious dialogue," an October 6 USCCB statement says.