Vatican Leader Speaks On - We Remember: A Reflection On The Holocaust

American Jewish Committee
Friday, 15 May 1998

Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, President of the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, declared today that a major objective of the Vatican's recent document on the Holocaust was to promote "an awareness of past injustices by Christians to the Jewish people" among "Catholics in those countries that were far removed by geography and history from the scene of the Shoah (Holocaust), and encourage their participation in the present efforts of the Holy See to promote throughout the Church a new spirit in Catholic-Jewish relations."

The Cardinal, whose Commission issued the document, We Remember: A Reflection On The Shoah, made his remarks today before hundreds of leaders of the American Jewish Committee, gathered in Washington for the organization's 92nd Annual Meeting. The session was chaired by AJC's immediate past president Robert S. Rifkind. Martin S. Kaplan, chair of AJC's Interreligious Affairs Commission, and Rabbi A. James Rudin, AJC Interreligious Affairs Director, responded.

While emphasizing the importance of the Vatican document, Cardinal Cassidy added that "declarations are not enough. As members of the Church, but also as ordinary members of the human race, past history questions us. The silences, prejudices, persecutions and compromises of past centuries weigh upon us. Is it possible for us, as human beings and as Christians, to kneel before God, in the presence of the victims of all times, to ask pardon and hope for reconciliation? I believe it is. And if it is possible, then we should do it without waiting or losing time. Tomorrow may be too late."

The Vatican official discussed the distinction We Remember makes between "the Church" and "members of the Church." "This distinction," he said, "runs through the Vatican document and is not readily understood by those who are not members of the Catholic Church. Let me state...that when we make this distinction, the term 'members of the Church' does not refer to a particular category of Church members, but can include according to the circumstances Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and Laity."

Cardinal Cassidy noted that Catholic reactions to the document "have been very positive…and while many of the early comments from the Jewish community were distinctly negative...other Jewish reactions were more positive. While not denying that [the Jewish community] would have wished for a more definitive statement..." it is important to emphasize that the document is a strong refutation of those who deny the reality of the Holocaust and the fact that Jews were murdered during the Shoah "for the sole reason that they were Jews."

The Cardinal further stated that We Remember "is not to be seen as the final word...I am sure that our document will result in renewed study and discussion. Jews and Christians have a new opportunity of contributing together to the well-being of the world in which we live. The possibilities are immense."

In his response, Mr. Kaplan commented that the Vatican document includes two historically significant achievements: "There is no room within the Christian religion for anti-Semitism or anti-Judaism, and the Roman Catholic Church affirms the truth of the Shoah." The AJC leader also saluted Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Cassidy, and other Catholic leaders for their extraordinary efforts to end "1,000 years of anti-Jewish attitudes and behavior" on the part of Christian churches and their members.

However, Mr. Kaplan expressed disappointment that the document fails to make the linkage between 1,000 years of the Christian teaching of contempt of Jews and Judaism with the anti-Jewish climate in Christian Europe, where the Shoah took place.

Despite that disappointment, Mr. Kaplan pledged that the AJC is "committed to working with Roman Catholic leaders to achieve mutual respect and understanding. Such a goal represents the highest and best teachings of both of our religions."

Rabbi Rudin commended the Vatican for using the Hebrew term "Shoah" instead of "Holocaust," which is frequently over-used and misused to describe many current events. "Shoah now and forever can only refer to the murder of 6,000,000 Jews between 1933 and 1945, unlike the term Holocaust."

The AJC leader noted that "the Vatican document is rich in its remembrance of the tragic past, abundant with calls for Catholic repentance, and eloquent in its resolve to improve the future of Christian-Jewish relations. Sadly, however, the fourth 'r', a sense of Catholic responsibility for the Shoah, is inadequately addressed. That is a major deficiency of the statement."

Rabbi Rudin concluded that the document "needs to be properly implemented and interpreted to the world's one billion Catholics. Hopefully, the appropriate teaching materials and liturgical forms will be developed to strengthen the Vatican document.

"The AJC plans to establish a joint working group of historians and theologians from both faith communities to explore the Shoah in all its ramifications. We wholeheartedly endorse the joint communique that was issued in Rome by Catholic and Jewish leaders that called for such a study. AJC is looking forward to being part of the team of Catholic and Jewish scholars to review the available Vatican archival material."

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