Rabbi Gary M. Bretton-Granatoor

[Delivered at the 17th meeting of the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee, New York, May 1, 2001.]

Shehechiyanu

There is a term in Jewish law for a human being that exists between life and death. It is a state of being that can change in a moment. The term is "goses." This term could rightly have been applied to the state of our dialogue two years ago. I am grateful that there were men and women of goodwill, Catholics and Jews, who endeavored to restore this body to health and vigor -- and I am grateful for the Divine healing power that enabled us to reach this moment.

We gather here today, and for the next few days, to reanimate this relationship and chart our continued partnership. Yet it may be useful to consider where we have been in the last two years, and how we arrived here today. I believe that an examination of the recent past may well teach us how precious an opportunity we have placed before us. But first let us go back 11 years.

Many gathered here remember our time in Prague. Shortly after the fall of Communism, our International Catholic - Jewish Liaison Committee met in Czechoslovakia. Immediately before the start of our official program, the delegates boarded a bus for a trip to Teresienstadt -- there we gathered as silent witnesses to the horrors that were suffered, and the lives that were brutally silenced. Upon our return to Prague, we met in the former Hall of Science, once owned by the Jewish Community, appropriated by the Communists and then returned to the Jewish Community just weeks before. In our conference room, Cardinal Cassidy, the newly-appointed President of the Vatican's Commission on Religious Relations with the Jews, made the profound statement that called for an act of Teshuva on the part of the Church for creating an environment in which the Shoah could have taken place.

These past eleven years have seen movement towards fulfilling that goal. Without question, things great and small have moved us forward. In the last decade we have seen: the exchange of ambassadors between the Holy See and the State of Israel, the publication of We Remember, the Pope's trip to Israel, the examination of the 11 volumes by Catholic and Jewish scholars. These are some of the highlights.

But there have been challenges to our relationship which led us to the state of affairs I described at the outset. And so, two years ago, IJCIC resolved to reform itself and under the able and dedicated Chairmanship of Seymour Reich, we endeavored to resume this important dialogue with the Vatican's Commission. Cardinal Cassidy challenged us to examine the documents contained in the 11 volumes, and Seymour Reich helped to organize and fund this critical work. He and Dr. Eugene Fisher shepherded this work forward. Once this work began, it was time to begin plans for our next International Catholic - Jewish Liaison Committee. I was asked to chair the program committee and in March of 2000, I wrote to Cardinal Cassidy and I expressed the hope that we would be able to meet in the spring of 2001. In my letter to Cardinal Cassidy I wrote, "...it is my belief that the time has come for us to recognize the maturation of our dialogue. We are ready to move beyond the 'goal-oriented' agenda items and pursue a broader dialogue which could lead us to understand the other, and ourselves, better." (March 17, 2000). A number of topics were suggested including the topic we will embrace when we examine a draft of a document of Protecting Religious Sites and Religious Liberties.

In July, Cardinal Cassidy and Cardinal Kasper were in the United States for a ten-day meeting with the Orthodox Christian community. We were able to arrange a meeting prior to their return to Rome. It was our first opportunity to meet Cardinal Kasper. There plans were made for a steering committee meeting to take place in December in Rome and the dates were set for this meeting.

Dr. Leon Feldman, Seymour Reich, Gerhard Riegner and I journeyed to Rome, to meet with Cardinal Kasper, Rev. Remi Hoechmann and Dr. Eugene Fisher. During our discussion it became clear that the question of what Cardinal Cassidy meant by the term Teshuva needed a deeper investigation. In fact the whole issue of Repentance and Reconciliation demands that we understand each other's hermeneutic so that we can hear the other better, and comprehend just what path each community is on.

We also addressed the lingering concerns from both communities on the intentional or unintentional impact of the release of Dominus Iesus. This will be addressed later today. We will also hear an update from representatives of the six scholars analyzing the material contained in the published 11 volumes of Vatican archival material on the Shoah. We will hear an update about ongoing projects and finally, we will gather this evening to honor eight individuals whose impress has been felt on our dialogue for the past decades, without whom we would not be here today.

This program would not have come together without the dedicated labor of some very special people. First, I am indebted to my friend, Dr. Leon Feldman, the Executive Secretary of IJCIC whose wise counsel and advice was always appreciated. Dr. Eugene Fisher has been my friend since the late 1980's and is always a pleasure to work with. Fr. James Loughren of the NY Archdiocese has been helpful on so many levels. I also want to thank Fr. Remi Hoechman for his help - we wish him well on his next assignment. Last, but not least we must thank the people behind the scenes: Zeesy, and Joel Schnur, Reva Kaiser and the whole staff of Schnur Associates who have taken care of all of the details of this ILC meeting.

We have a very full agenda, so please allow me to introduce to you the President of the Vatican's Commission on Religious Relations with the Jews, Walter Cardinal Kasper and the Chairman of IJCIC, Seymour Reich.

Born in 1933, Walter Kasper was ordained a priest in 1957 after studies in theology and philosophy at the Universities of Tubingen and Munich. He was a full professor of dogmatic theology at the University of Munster and the University of Tubingen. Bishop Kasper was Special Secretary to the Synod of Bishops and in 1989 was ordained Bishop of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. In 1998 he became a member of the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith. In 1999 Bishop Kasper was nominated Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. This past February, Bishop Kasper became Cardinal Kasper and the following month he was named President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and of the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, succeeding Cardinal Cassidy. We welcome him to this position and look forward to many opportunities to deepen our relationship and work together.

Seymour D. Reich is now serving as Chair of IJCIC for the second time. The first time, he was elected in 1989 and then again in 1999. A long-time activist and leader in world Jewish affairs, he is Senior Partner in the law firm of Gallet Dreyer and Berkey. He has served two terms as President of B'nai Brith International and two terms as chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. He has also served as the chair of the ADL's Civil Rights Committee - an area in which Seymour Reich has made a profound impact. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and has a law degree from Harvard.

It has been said, "D'varim yotzim min halev, nichnasim el halev - words that pour forth from the heart, enter the heart." May our words of dialogue come from the heart and enter the heart, so that in our time, we may see the flowering of mutual respect, and understanding. Let us examine our past, and plan for a future in which no child suffers because of ignorance, prejudice or religious triumphalism.