Yeah, they sort of did. The new Catholic document The Gifts and the Calling of God Are Irrevocable states: “From the Christian confession that there can be only one path to salvation, however, it does not in any way follow that the Jews are excluded from God’s salvation because they do not believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah of Israel and the Son of God.” They also add: “In concrete terms this means that the Catholic Church neither conducts nor supports any specific institutional mission work directed towards Jews.”
The document is a sequel to 1965’s Nostra aetate, which was a good document: it condemned antisemitism and persecution. This new paper however takes it some steps further. It is mainly a long exegesis of Romans 9-11, and their conclusion is that the Catholic Church should not seek to institutionally lead Jews to Christ, even though they can’t stop individual Catholics from doing so.
My take on this can be found in the video. Jesus loves to heal and save His Jewish brothers and sisters, as He recently did in Tel Aviv, and it’s always strange when people tend to believe that the best way to make sure that you don’t hate or kill a religious group is to say that they go to Heaven. Evangelism doesn’t lead to antisemitism; stupidity, hatred and disobedience to Jesus leads to antisemitism. Let’s encourage both Catholics and Jews to seek the truth in Jesus, rather than trusting in the doctrine of man.
Dont most Jews think similarly? They still await the Messiach!
I agree Michael. I have come across that view before, and it’s worrying.
Deb
[…] Did the Catholic Church Just Say That Jews Don’t Need Jesus? […]
If that is really what the Catholic church believes, then it just shows how far from New Testament Christianity it has strayed. The apostle Paul, formerly a devout Jew, was clear – a Jew’s reliance on the Law or his birth for salvation is simply wrong – It is Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection that saves you, whether Jew or Gentile. Jesus also said the same thing. Strange how the C church can get it so wrong, but then again it does teach that ‘works’ save you, rather than simply faith that is taught throughout the NT.
[…] Did the Catholic Church Just Say That Jews Don’t Need Jesus? […]
[…] Did the Catholic Church Just Say That Jews Don’t Need Jesus? […]
[…] Did the Catholic Church Just Say That Jews Don’t Need Jesus? […]