Italy: “a small wound with the Jews”The decision of Italy’s Rabbinical Assembly to withdraw its participation in this year’s annual Day of Jewish-Christian reflection, which was communicated by Rabbi Giuseppe Laras, “surprises and pains us”. However, “Jewish-Christian relations do continue and indeed ought to be intensified”, Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia, bishop of Terni – Narni – Amelia and President of the Bishops’ Conference for Ecumenism and Dialogue told SIR. Each Year, January 17 – the eve of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – is devoted to “Jewish-Christian understanding”. Christians and Jews traditionally celebrate the Day also with a joint declaration. However, this year the Jews have decided to interrupt their cooperation and not take part in the joint initiatives as a sign of protest against the new phrasing of the Good Friday prayer for the Jews (in the Latin rite). For Msgr. Paglia this “small wound represents an opportunity to develop Jewish-Catholic relations, and to intensify the joint commitment to testimony the salvation revealed by the only God”. In his address to diocesan delegates for ecumenism and dialogue – who convened in Rome November 24-27 – Msgr. Paglia pointed our that as a sign of respect towards the Jews, the Italian Bishops’ Conference has decided to change the topic of the reflection. “Out of a feeling of brotherhood with the Jews – the bishop said – we will interrupt the reflection on the Ten Commandments we have been jointly working on since 2006”. Furthermore, following the Jewish number order, this year a reflection on “Shabbat”, the fourth word: “Though shall sanctify Sabbath”, had been planned. It was thus decided, Msgr. Paglia remarked, “to reflect upon the relationship between Christians and Jews underlining the importance of the Scriptures, to the light of the recent Bishops’ Synod and of the first-ever participation of a Rabbi in a gathering of world bishops”. The department for Ecumenism and Dialogue of the Italian Bishops’ Conference will soon send the new instruction regarding the Day’s celebration to the diocesan delegates. “There may be Jews in the different dioceses who intend to take part in the Day’s initiative, we certainly won’t stop them from doing so”, the bishop declared. “However, it depends on the relations that each one of us has with the rabbis and with our Jewish brothers”. Our approach – he added – is to “refrain from underscoring” the incident, also because “lingering on the issue would go against our own intention that is to smooth things out. Our wisdom will help us mend the rift”. Poland: a four-hand letter on the life”We wish to recall not only the many risks representing a threat to modern world, mostly, we wish to enhance the beauty of life”. The statement is contained in the pastoral letter jointly written by the archbishops of Warsaw and Prague, Msgr. Jozef Nycz and Msgr. Henryk Hoser, who declared “that the faithful and the pastors living on the two shores of the Vistola River share the same problems”. For the first time, two pastors of the Polish capital city jointly proclaim the message of the Advent, representing the erection of another bridge linking the city built on the two shores of the river that crosses Poland from north to south, from the Tatra Mountains to the Baltic Sea. The pastoral year 2008-2009, in conformity with the program drawn up by the Polish Bishops Conference for the years 2006-2010, envisages a series of ecclesial initiatives with special focus upon the defense of life. “All human beings must rediscover that life if a gift of God, that ought to be admired and lived with respect not only as relates to the life of individuals, but also for the life of others and for all the Creation”, the bishops remarked. The defense of life has gained primary attention during the 346th plenary assembly of the Polish Bishops, who convened in the sanctuary of Jasna Gora for the traditional joint spiritual retreat November 24-27. The occasion was given after Polish Prime minister Donald Tusk presented, on November 26, the plan envisaging national health coverage of artificial ‘in vitro’ insemination practices. To this regard, the President of Poland’s Bishops Conference Msgr. Jozef Michalik declared: “experiments carried out until now leave no doubt as to the fact that ‘in vitro’ insemination violates the right to life of the conceived human being. In order to be complaisant with the parents and enable them to have a child, other human beings are murdered. This cannot be accepted by any honest person, all the less by the Christian faithful”.
