Pope seeks to diffuse row after ‘suggesting’ Jewish law is obsolete
Francis's remarks about the Torah had led to a stern letter from Israel's chief rabbinate seeking clarification
Pope Francis has sought to reconcile with Israel’s chief rabbinate after suggesting last month that he believed Judaism’s body of law, the Torah, was obsolete.
The pontiff said during an audience on August 11 that the Torah “does not give life”, prompting a stern letter to the Vatican from Israel’s chief rabbinate.
He went on: “It does not offer the fulfilment of the promise because it is not capable of being able to fulfil it.
“Those who seek life need to look to the promise and to its fulfilment in Christ.”
His remarks provoked a stern letter from Israel’s chief rabbinate to the Vatican asking to “convey our distress to Pope Francis” and calling on him to “ensure that any derogatory conclusions drawn from this homily are clearly repudiated”.
The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, contains hundreds of commandments for Jews to follow in everyday life. They are interpreted differently by Orthodox and progressive Jews.
Francis has since asked an aide to write a letter explaining he was reflecting on the writings of St Paul and had not intended his remarks to be taken as a judgment on Jewish law.
Jewish sources told the Reuters news agency that they saw the Vatican’s letter as a “sign of reconciliation”.
At his weekly blessing on Sunday, Francis offered best wishes to Jews ahead of Rosh Hashanah and added: “May the new year be rich with fruits of peace, and good for those who walk faithfully in the law of the Lord”.
The pope’s use of the word “law” is believed to be a significant and intentional move to clear up what the Vatican considers a misunderstanding.
Relations between Jews and Catholics shifted radically since 1965, when the Second Vatican Council abandoned the view that Jews are collectively responsible for the death of Jesus.
The most recent three popes, including Francis, have paid visits to synagogues and have maintained close relations with Jews.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
