Hebrew Catholics
Encyclopedia
Hebrew Catholics are a movement of Jews converted to the faith of the Roman Catholic Church
. The phrase was coined by Father Elias Friedman, OCD (1987) who was himself a converted Jew. They keep Jewish traditions in the light of Roman Catholic doctrine.
, Rosh Hashana, Shavuot
, etc. and even wear traditional ritual wear like kippot
, tallit
ot, tefillin
, use mezuzot and keep many mitsvot (commandments) in the Torah as a sign of their heritage. Thusly, these Jewish holidays and practices, where they do not conflict with Catholic doctrine, are kept for ethnic reasons, much as Irish American
s might celebrate Saint Patrick's Day
.
The movement is not a sectarian group in the Roman Catholic Church, nor a schism
atic movement outside it.
.
According to David Moss (2000), the current president of the AHC, their number is around 10,000 people. The countries with the largest membership are the USA and Israel, but members are also found in Canada
, France
, Italy
, Australia
, Spain
, England
, Venezuela
, Colombia
, Argentina
, Mexico
, and Germany
.
Hebrew Catholics should not be confused with Messianic Jews, who are independent Jewish Christian denominations, many of them Sabbatarian Protestants, some of whom follow Calvinist
doctrine but celebrate Jewish holy days and emphasize Jewish elements of Christianity. Hebrew Catholics are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome and are not an independent movement, and may be either liberal or traditionalist.
Furthermore, Fr. David Neuhaus (2008), a priest of the Jewish Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Jerusalem and himself a Jew by birth, declares: "Dietary laws
are not obligatory for those who live in Christ. I would only understand dietary laws being observed by Jewish Hebrew Catholics if they had always practised these laws before becoming Catholic. It certainly does no harm. But adopting the laws as Catholics (or as secular Jews who have become Catholic) does not make much sense as we have the fullness of the promise in Jesus."
Another sensitivity is regarding Christians of Jewish origin who still regard themselves as Jewish – Messianic Jews – considered by both Jews and Christians as a marginal sect.
A significant aspect in Jewish-Christian and Jewish-Catholic relations in Israel is government policy. Ever since the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948, Judaism has been used in government policy and legislation as a means to give the Israeli society a sense of identity. As a result, all matrimonial laws in Israel are religious, and no civil marriages take place. Education is also segregated to a large degree between various religious denominations. As a result, a general social attitude of disrespect towards non-Jews has evolved within Israeli society, causing difficulties in finding employment and accommodation in Jewish cities. These attitudes were increased following the Six Day War and the construction of settlements in the Palestinian Territories after 1967. The Settlers have become a new political force, and this led to a greater sense of animosity by Jews towards anything viewed by them as non-Jewish.
One factor mitigating the external appearances of that animosity was the spread of media coverage of Israeli society, which caused politicians as well as the general public to refrain from openly advocating violence against non-Jews in general. In addition, as the Israeli government is receiving considerable support from Evangelical Christians around the world, it must restrain some of the negative attitudes against Christians prevalent among many Jews. This was instrumental in 1997, when some Knesset members tried to pass a bill that would criminalize any proselytism by Christians in Israel, but the government under Netanyahu blocked their attempt.[37] [38] Nevertheless, social antagonism among Jews in Israel towards Christians is still prevalent, even though less visible on a daily basis. However, some sporadic acts of violence against Christians - foreign and Israeli - are being committed by ultra-Orthodox Jewish individuals.[39] The most severe act of violence so far was on March 20, 2008, Amiel Ortiz, the 15 year old son of Messianic Jewish Pastor David Ortiz in the settlement of Ariel, was critically injured and lost two fingers by an explosive package that was meant for his father.[40] [41] It was later discovered that the explosive was sent by a religious settler named Ya'akov (Jack) Teitel.[42] Animosity towards Catholics of Jewish origin in particular was displayed in 1995, when Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger visited Israel and the Chief Rabbi Meir Lau publicly accused him of betraying the Jewish people.[43] [44]
As a result of negative stance against Christians, even though there is no law against Jews converting to Christianity or Christians living in Jewish cities, many Jews are very reluctant to visit in a church or enter into friendly relations with any Jewish convert to Christianity or any Christian - Israeli or foreign - who is trying to find employment or residence within the Jewish sector in Israel.
Vatican attitudes towards Israeli Catholics of Jewish origin have also shifted. From 1955, unofficial communities began performing the mass in Hebrew with official Vatican endorsement.[45] However, the Vatican has kept a low-key attitude towards this congregation, in order not to antagonize the Arab speaking Catholic community, which may not favor Catholics with pro-Jewish sentiments. The number of Israeli Catholics of non-Arab origin increased during the 1990s, due primarily to immigration from the former Soviet Union. As a result, the Vatican changed its policies in 2003, for the first time ordaining Jean-Baptiste Gourion as Auxiliary Bishop to overlook the Hebrew Catholic community in Israel.[46] The appointment of Father David Neuhaus as vicar upon Gourionan's death in 2003, however, is not in conformity with the importance that the Holy See ostensibly attributes to the newly emerging commuAngelus of Jerusalemnity. On the other hand, Neuhaus did participate in the Synod for Middle Eastern clergy as a special invitee of the Pope, and Hebrew - for the first time ever - was one of the official languages in which Radio Vatican covered the event.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. The phrase was coined by Father Elias Friedman, OCD (1987) who was himself a converted Jew. They keep Jewish traditions in the light of Roman Catholic doctrine.
Beliefs
Hebrew Catholics subscribe to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic faith and are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. One point of differentiation lies not in dogmatic beliefs but in liturgical practices. For example, their liturgical calendar might differ from Latin Catholics in their retention of certain Jewish holidays. Hebrew Catholics may celebrate PassoverPassover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
, Rosh Hashana, Shavuot
Shavuot
The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
, etc. and even wear traditional ritual wear like kippot
Kippah
A kippah or kipa , also known as a yarmulke , kapele , is a hemispherical or platter-shaped head cover, usually made of cloth, often worn by Orthodox Jewish men to fulfill the customary requirement that their head be covered at all times, and sometimes worn by both men and, less frequently, women...
, tallit
Tallit
A tallit pl. tallitot is a Jewish prayer shawl. The tallit is worn over the outer clothes during the morning prayers on weekdays, Shabbat and holidays...
ot, tefillin
Tefillin
Tefillin also called phylacteries are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form , it is loosely used as a singular as...
, use mezuzot and keep many mitsvot (commandments) in the Torah as a sign of their heritage. Thusly, these Jewish holidays and practices, where they do not conflict with Catholic doctrine, are kept for ethnic reasons, much as Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
s might celebrate Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
.
The movement is not a sectarian group in the Roman Catholic Church, nor a schism
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
atic movement outside it.
History
Hebrew Catholics are constituted of people with both Jewish and non-Jewish origins. Some are Jewish converts to Catholicism who live in Israel with Hebrew as a first language; the vast majority are the children of foreign workers who were already Catholics, but were born and grew up in Israel, and also have Hebrew as their first language. The main associations of the movement are the Association of Jewish Catholics (AHC), Remnant Of Israel (ROI), and Miriam Bat Tzion. The AHC and the ROI are English-speaking organizations, and Miriam Bat Tzion is French-speaking. There is also a group of Spanish-speaking Jewish Catholics in MaracayMaracay
Maracay is a city in north-central Venezuela, near the Caribbean coast, and is the capital and most important city of the state of Aragua. Most of it falls under the jurisdiction of the Girardot Municipality. The population as per the 2001 census was 750,000...
.
According to David Moss (2000), the current president of the AHC, their number is around 10,000 people. The countries with the largest membership are the USA and Israel, but members are also found in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Hebrew Catholics should not be confused with Messianic Jews, who are independent Jewish Christian denominations, many of them Sabbatarian Protestants, some of whom follow Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
doctrine but celebrate Jewish holy days and emphasize Jewish elements of Christianity. Hebrew Catholics are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome and are not an independent movement, and may be either liberal or traditionalist.
Some halachic points of view
According to Bloomer (2008) "There is a broad range of Jewish Catholics. From those who observe nothing much of the Jewish ways up to those who observe the same as Orthodox Jews. There are many different opinions but they all try to accept each other, whatever their level of observance."Furthermore, Fr. David Neuhaus (2008), a priest of the Jewish Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Jerusalem and himself a Jew by birth, declares: "Dietary laws
Kashrut
Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
are not obligatory for those who live in Christ. I would only understand dietary laws being observed by Jewish Hebrew Catholics if they had always practised these laws before becoming Catholic. It certainly does no harm. But adopting the laws as Catholics (or as secular Jews who have become Catholic) does not make much sense as we have the fullness of the promise in Jesus."
The emerging Hebrew-speaking Catholic community in the State of Israel
Since most Christians in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are of Arab ethnicity, Christian clergy is mostly involved in community work with Israeli Arabs or with residents of the Palestinian authority, but rarely with Israeli Jews – save Russian immigrants who consider themselves Christians. Israeli Arabs who belong to the Christian religion are recognized as such under Israeli law, but Jews who have converted are in most cases still registered as Jewish, as the State is very reluctant to recognize such conversions, even though there is no law against it. Some changes in attitude have taken place, as Israeli society is becoming more accustomed to the presence of a variety of religious denominations.Another sensitivity is regarding Christians of Jewish origin who still regard themselves as Jewish – Messianic Jews – considered by both Jews and Christians as a marginal sect.
A significant aspect in Jewish-Christian and Jewish-Catholic relations in Israel is government policy. Ever since the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948, Judaism has been used in government policy and legislation as a means to give the Israeli society a sense of identity. As a result, all matrimonial laws in Israel are religious, and no civil marriages take place. Education is also segregated to a large degree between various religious denominations. As a result, a general social attitude of disrespect towards non-Jews has evolved within Israeli society, causing difficulties in finding employment and accommodation in Jewish cities. These attitudes were increased following the Six Day War and the construction of settlements in the Palestinian Territories after 1967. The Settlers have become a new political force, and this led to a greater sense of animosity by Jews towards anything viewed by them as non-Jewish.
One factor mitigating the external appearances of that animosity was the spread of media coverage of Israeli society, which caused politicians as well as the general public to refrain from openly advocating violence against non-Jews in general. In addition, as the Israeli government is receiving considerable support from Evangelical Christians around the world, it must restrain some of the negative attitudes against Christians prevalent among many Jews. This was instrumental in 1997, when some Knesset members tried to pass a bill that would criminalize any proselytism by Christians in Israel, but the government under Netanyahu blocked their attempt.[37] [38] Nevertheless, social antagonism among Jews in Israel towards Christians is still prevalent, even though less visible on a daily basis. However, some sporadic acts of violence against Christians - foreign and Israeli - are being committed by ultra-Orthodox Jewish individuals.[39] The most severe act of violence so far was on March 20, 2008, Amiel Ortiz, the 15 year old son of Messianic Jewish Pastor David Ortiz in the settlement of Ariel, was critically injured and lost two fingers by an explosive package that was meant for his father.[40] [41] It was later discovered that the explosive was sent by a religious settler named Ya'akov (Jack) Teitel.[42] Animosity towards Catholics of Jewish origin in particular was displayed in 1995, when Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger visited Israel and the Chief Rabbi Meir Lau publicly accused him of betraying the Jewish people.[43] [44]
As a result of negative stance against Christians, even though there is no law against Jews converting to Christianity or Christians living in Jewish cities, many Jews are very reluctant to visit in a church or enter into friendly relations with any Jewish convert to Christianity or any Christian - Israeli or foreign - who is trying to find employment or residence within the Jewish sector in Israel.
Vatican attitudes towards Israeli Catholics of Jewish origin have also shifted. From 1955, unofficial communities began performing the mass in Hebrew with official Vatican endorsement.[45] However, the Vatican has kept a low-key attitude towards this congregation, in order not to antagonize the Arab speaking Catholic community, which may not favor Catholics with pro-Jewish sentiments. The number of Israeli Catholics of non-Arab origin increased during the 1990s, due primarily to immigration from the former Soviet Union. As a result, the Vatican changed its policies in 2003, for the first time ordaining Jean-Baptiste Gourion as Auxiliary Bishop to overlook the Hebrew Catholic community in Israel.[46] The appointment of Father David Neuhaus as vicar upon Gourionan's death in 2003, however, is not in conformity with the importance that the Holy See ostensibly attributes to the newly emerging commuAngelus of Jerusalemnity. On the other hand, Neuhaus did participate in the Synod for Middle Eastern clergy as a special invitee of the Pope, and Hebrew - for the first time ever - was one of the official languages in which Radio Vatican covered the event.
Notable Hebrew Catholics
- Fr. Bruno HussarBruno HussarFather Bruno Hussar was the founder of Neve Shalom / Wahat al-Salam, which means "Oasis of Peace," an Arab/Jewish village dedicated to coexistence. Father Bruno derived the name from the book of Isaiah "My people shall dwell in an Oasis of Peace"...
(Founder of NSWAS, Neve Shalom - Wahat al Salam, Oasis of Peace) - Msgr. Jean-Baptiste GourionJean-Baptiste GourionJean-Baptiste Gourion, O.S.B. was a French Jewish-born Benedictine monk and auxiliary bishop from 2003 until his death.Gourion was born on October 24, 1934 in Oran, Algeria, when it was a French colony. When studying medicine in France, he decided to enter in French Army during the Algerian...
(Former Auxiliar Bishop of Jerusalem) - Angelus of Jerusalem (A saintSaintA saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
and martyrMartyrA martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
from the Holy Land, was born in Jerusalem to a Jewish family)
External links
- Hebrew Speaking Catholic Vicariate in Israel (Hebrew, English, French and Russian)
- The Association of Hebrew Catholics
- Catholics for Israel: Catholics for Israel and Catholics in Israel committed in fostering dialog and friendship between Jews and Catholics
- Hebrew speaking Catholics in Israel (Hebrew) Portal Notzri Qatholi
- Remnant of Israel (Mark Drogin)
- Salvation is From the Jews (Roy Schoeman)
- Second Exodus (Marty Barrack)
- Yeshua's Light
- Rakhem Adonay - Católicos Hebreos - Hebrew Catholics (Spanish and English)
- Asociación de Católicos de Carisma Hebraico y de Tradición Hebrea, Maracay, Venezuela A Spanish Site
- Hebreos Católicos de Argentina
- Hebreus-Católicos A Portuguese blog, with English version.