Timely Talk
Pope Benedict, Holocaust Denial, and the Society of Saint Pius X
Is the Future of Catholic-Jewish Relations in Jeopardy?
Date: March 3, 2009
Time: 7:30 - 9:00 PM
Place: Beth El Congregation, 8101 Park Heights Ave. Baltimore Maryland 21208
Cost: Free and open to the public. Plenty of free parking.
Background: Setting the Scene
On January 21, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of four bishops ordained in 1988 by Archbishop Lefebvre, founder of the Society of Saint Pius X, a society founded as a repudiation of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.
The controversy surrounding Benedict's action, which is generating considerable turmoil within the Catholic Church and imperiling Catholic-Jewish relations, was intensified by an interview with one of the bishops, Richard Williamson, in which he reiterated his denial that the Holocaust had resulted in the deaths of six million Jews.
What does the Pope's action signal about the Church's commitment to overcoming its own legacy of anti-Jewish teaching when it reinstates members of an organization that is anti-Jewish at its core? What does the apparent embrace of a movement that rejects all ecumenical and interreligious outreach indicate about the Church's commitment to Catholic-Jewish relations?
Panel
Rosann M. Catalano, Ph.D.
ICJS Roman Catholic Scholar
John R. Donahue, SJ
Raymond Brown Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies, St. Mary's Seminary
Research Professor in Theology, Loyola College
Rabbi Joel H. Zaiman
Emeritus Rabbi, Chizuk Amuno Congregation
ICJS Trustee
Dr. Christopher M. Leighton
ICJS Executive Director
Facilitator
