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NewsChannel 8 Story:
Anchor Introduction:
THREE YEARS AGO, WHEN THEN-CARDINAL JOSEPH RATZINGER WAS ELECTED POPE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, SOME MEMBERS OF OTHER FAITHS QUESTIONED THE DECISION. CRITICS POINTED TO RATZINGER'S CHILDHOOD IN GERMANY IN GENERAL, AND HIS BRIEF CONNECTION TO THE NAZI PARTY IN PARTICULAR. THE WORRY WAS WHAT HIS PAST MIGHT MEAN TO THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
NEWSCHANNEL EIGHT'S JUDY KURTZ EXPLORES THE POPE'S MOVES TOWARD RELIGIOUS RECONCILIATION, INCLUDING THE INTERFAITH MEETING HE'LL HOST DURING HIS VISIT IN TWO WEEKS.
Story:
"What a wonderful thing, that to interface with a religious leader, that Nationals stadium will be filled because of their spiritual longings in life," said Rabbi Bruce Lustig of the Washington Hebrew Congregation.
RABBI LUSTIG IS HAPPY TO SEE FAITH BRINGING WASHINGTONIANS TOGETHER. HE'S THE SENIOR RABBI AT THE WASHINGTON HEBREW CONGREGATION IN THE DISTRICT.
AND WHILE HE'S A LEADER IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, HE'LL SOON HAVE THE EAR OF THE LEADER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
"I'll be honored to be part of the group that will have dinner with the Pope on the 17th of April," said Rabbi Lustig.
THAT DINNER IS AN INTERFAITH GATHERING THAT WILL INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES FROM VARIOUS RELIGIOUS GROUPS. POPE BENEDICT THE SIXTEENTH HAS MADE A POINT OF OPENING A DIALOGUE WITH OTHER FAITHS DURING HIS FIRST OFFICIAL TRIP TO THE U.S. FOR RABBI LUSTIG, WHO'S TRAVELED TO THE VATICAN BEFORE, THIS VISIT WILL BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO BRING JEWS AND CATHOLICS TOGETHER.
"We all have our differences and our struggles, but the important part is that we're all willing to sit down and work out those differences," said Rabbi Lustig.
THE DIFFERENCES MAY BE MANY. POPE BENEDICT'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE HITLER YOUTH AS A BOY IN NAZI GERMANY HAS RAISED EYEBROWS IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
"I think you can't judge a man who has a long history with the Jewish community that's been primarily positive by what he did, or was forced to do or whatever when he was a teenager," said Rabbi Gary Greenenbaum of the American Jewish Committee.
THE POPE WROTE IN HIS 1977 BOOK, 'SALT OF THE EARTH',
"AS A SEMINARIAN, I WAS REGISTERED IN THE HITLER YOUTH. AS SOON AS I WAS OUT OF THE SEMINARY, I NEVER WENT BACK. AND THAT WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE TUITION REDUCTION, WHICH I REALLY NEEDED, WAS TIED TO PROOF OF ATTENDANCE AT THE HITLER YOUTH."
BUT RABBI GARY GREENENBAUM, WHO WILL ALSO BE MEETING WITH THE POPE DURING HIS WASHINGTON VISIT, SAYS THE POPE'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE HITLER YOUTH MUST BE TAKEN IN CONTEXT WITH THE TIME PERIOD. HE SAYS WHILE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, MORE CAN BE DONE.
"Many in the Jewish community have asked over time for a Pope who really address anti-Semitism and really address it as a sin," said Rabbi Greenenbaum.
POPE BENEDICT HAS MADE EFFORTS TO BUILD THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. HE HAS PRAISED NOSTRA AETATE, A LANDMARK 19-65 DOCUMENT THAT CONDEMNED ALL FORMS OF HATRED, PERSECUTION, AND ANTI-SEMITISM.
AND IN 2005, THE POPE VISITED A COLOGNE SYNAGOGUE. THE CONCILIATORY ACTIONS FOLLOWED SOME STATEMENTS MADE IN 2001 BY THEN CARDINAL RATZINGER THAT RAISED SOME CONCERNS AMONG JEWS...INCLUDING A STATEMENT THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS WAITING FOR THE MOMENT WHEN JEWS WILL SAY YES TO CHRIST.
MEANTIME RABBI LUSTIG SAYS HE'S GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE POPE AND WORK ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CATHOLICS AND JEWS.
"They've been incredibly considerate and gracious in order to include members of all faiths in the opportunity to meet with the Pope in order to further interfaith dialogue," said Rabbi Lustig.
JUDY KURTZ, NEWSCHANNEL EIGHT.
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