RABBI DAVID Hartman was one of the great figures of contemporary Jewish life. The founder of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and a prophet of religious tolerance, the self-described Jewish kid from Brooklyn had a huge impact on his generation, both in Israel, where he lived since 1971, and in the broader Jewish world. Less predictably, Hartman — who died last week at 81 — was a towering inspiration to me, a Catholic guy from Boston.
After World War II and the horrors of the Nazi death camps, Jews and Christians had to learn a new language if they were ever to communicate again. Remarkably enough, they found it. With every reason not to do so, leaders of the Jewish community, such as Abraham Joshua Heschel and Marc Tanenbaum, entered into a daring conversation with Christian partners, like the Lutheran scholar Krister Stendahl and the Catholic theologian John Pawlikowski. The momentous and ongoing Jewish-Christian dialogue that such figures established is one of the most significant religious events in history, for it has led to the dismantling of ancient structures of Christian anti-Semitism. This movement away from hostility to deep mutuality provides the world with a model of reconciliation.
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The world has lost a true leader of humanity. Thank you, Mr. Carroll, for your wonderful salute.
Mr. Carroll, I don't have a comment on the above, but I'd like to comment on your 2/13 column "Pope's rsignation was his most important act". I tried to comment that day, but I had problem posting for some reason.
You stated "In his symbolic role, a priest is an "alter Christus," another Christ. This notion partly explains why the priest-as-child-abuser, for most Catholics, was unthinkable". Yes, but I think the most important point may have been missed: It is BECAUSE of their status of being"another Christ"in the eyes of Catholics, that the moslestations were so "accepted" by the victims, and covered up by the church. Imagine what was going on in the mind of a child as the priest is in the process of molesting him. He's torn with conflict because it seems so wrong, yet he is thinking that it must be ok, becuase this is almost like God touching me. My parents and everyone else in the church has told me he is like God, and therefore, how can I question God's actions. He, after all, has the "power" to turn bread and water into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Probably more awe inspiring is that he also has the power to forgive your sins and save you from burning in HELL. It is these "mysterios powers" that the church says Priests have that ENABLE the molestations, and motivate for the coverup of those crimes. Now you and I know (well I do at least) that no such mysitcal power resides with any human being. It is this stated power that the church must admit doesn't exist....ITS A 2000 YEAR OLD FAIRY TALE FOLKS... in order for any change to take place in the CC.