Vatican priest visits Indianapolis synagogue

By Brandon A. Evans

Salesian Father Norbert Hoffman, a native of Germany and the secretary of the Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews, ended his recent trip to the United States with a first: He addressed those gathered at a synagogue.

The occasion was a Kabbalat Shabbat (Receiving of the Sabbath) service on July 22 at Congregation Shaarey Tefilla in Indianapolis.

Envisioning the Sabbath as the bride of Israel, those at the service welcome her as the sun sets each Friday and the Jewish Sabbath begins.

The service, which Father Norbert participated in, includes Psalms, biblical passages, a silent devotional prayer and a “Mourner’s Kaddish,” which is an affirmation of faith.

Most of the songs and prayers were in Hebrew. Rabbi Arnold Bienstock presided at the service.

After the service, Father Norbert was asked to say a few words about his trip to various cities in the United States as well as answer questions about his duties.

It was a trip, he said, in which he sought to understand how Jews and Catholics in the United States were getting along and building relationships—and he said that he has found a growing friendship.

Jews and Catholics, he said, can share in the mission of charity, especially on the grassroots level.

But deeper than that, he said, is that despite 2,000 years of separation, both Jews and Catholics must remember that they share the same spiritual roots and worship the same God.

Father Norbert expressed praise for the Vatican II document “Nostra Aetate” (“In Our Time”) and said that ever since that moment in modern Catholic history—a major opening up of the Church to active dialogue with other faiths—much progress has been made.

Especially with a resurgence of anti-Semitism and related vandalism against Jews in Europe, he said, Jewish people should see that the Church is their ally and that anti-Semitism, as the late Pope John Paul II said, is a sin against God and humanity.

Father Norbert also stressed that his commission, which was founded in 1974, deals nearly exclusively with the spiritual aspects of Jewish-Christian dialogue and stays out of political matters.

One of the primary difficulties with that spiritual dialogue, he said, is that there is far more diversity in theological matters with Judaism—it is harder to determine an “official” Jewish belief than it is to get an official Catholic answer about a belief.

Still, he said, the Church will continue, despite any difficulties, to pursue this dialogue and to grow in deeper friendship with Jews.

After Father Norbert’s comments, he was presented a key to the city by State Rep. David Orentlicher, and was given a gift of the Jewish Scriptures by Rabbi Bienstock to present to the pope.

The rabbi also gave Father Norbert a gift to put over the door of his Vatican office that contains the words of the Shma—the creed of Judaism as taken from the Book of Deuteronomy: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” †