Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Saint Augustine commenting the Letter to the Galatians recalls Paul's amazement with regard to members of the community who were disturbed or captivated by the prestige of 'giudaizzanti', those early Christians of Jewish origin who gave such importance to Judaism, as to make it an indispensable condition for being a Christian. This meant that instead of following Jesus and his Gospel, they turned back to Moses and the Law. The Apostle writes: “ to them we did not submit even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain intact for you. ” (Gal 2,5).
The phenomenon would appear to be returning today; a symptom could be preference for expressions such as “First” and “Second” Testament, as if they were equivalent: overlooking the fact that the latter brings the former to completion and by the Liturgy is called “the new and everlasting Covenant ”. Was it not John who wrote: “ for the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ ” (Jn 1,17)?
Moses, a great prophet, but still only a man; Jesus, the Son of God who through his Resurrection obtained for us forgiveness of sins and the re-establishment of friendship with God: hence, only from the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ, can the Old Testament receive, light and fullness of hope.
As it has been demonstrated by the scholarly Rabbi Jacob Neusner, a practising Jew, by calling us to follow Him, rather than the Toràh, Jesus, indicates the difference from the Jewish religion. Paul, a zealous and learned Jew, was aware that following Christ was in no way a repetition of the Jewish religion, otherwise he would never have said that his past life as a member of Judaism, had been irreversibly concluded. He asked to be baptised, he was illuminated ,– as Baptism was called in the early Church– because this sacrament enable us to see with the new eyes of the faith. Let it be clear: this only happens through an encounter with God's grace.
The Apostles, who were Israelites, witnessed the resurrection of Jesus from the dead as authentic judgement on the part of God the Father, who, in this way categorically overturned the sentence of the Sanhedrin which, until that moment, the Jews considered vali,.
Therefore all human wisdom is subject to the judgement of the Cross which reveals the wisdom and power of God. This is the “folly” announced by the Apostles, on which the Church is founded! If they had been more concerned about not giving scandal to the Jews and being in agreement with pagans, then the Church would have been similar to a kingdom or a family in disagreement within itself, and, as Jesus warns, doomed to ruin. (cfr Mt 12,25).
For men of the Church, a desire to be accepted by the world is a recurrent temptation. To avoid this and to avoid giving scandal to the world, it is necessary first of all to speak with one voice: parishioners speak with the one voice of the parish priest, religious with the one voice of the Superior, priests with the one voice of the bishop, cardinals with the one voice of the Pope, by whom they are indeed, 'created'.
It is the one Catholic Church which must be heard not a particular individual community. In fact a Church founded on the opinions of individual ecclesiastics, would never have survived; not least because opinions can be only a step away from heresy.
Only in unity with Peter can there be full communion in the Church, since he is “ the perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity of both the bishops and of the faithful ” in relation to the invisible principle, the Holy Spirit (Lumen gentium 23). We rightly defend Vatican II, because, especially from this truth, there can be no departing, either with the Church or outside it, in dialogue with non Catholics and non Christians.
Whatever the case, we should all realise: dialogue cannot prevent violent opposition; from the beginning Christianity has had to deal with it, coming from Jewish communities and from local authorities acting as a consequence of complaints made by Jews. Dialogue cannot prevent persecution. We see this today in many parts of the world: persecution can be bloody or verbal, open or subtle, with intimidation and pressure. Persecutors are never satisfied because, “ light shines in darkness, and darkness could not overpower it […]He came to his own and his own people did not accept him.” (Jn 1,5.11).
If we all realise this, we can help the Holy Father in the exercise of his personal responsibility for the universal Church. (Agenzia Fides 12/2/2009; righe 52, parole 718)
