About Fr. Raniero’s Sermon

I was going to abstain from controversy for the Triduum. But I think defending brothers from unjust attack is certainly appropriate for these days, so I will do so.

There is much wailing and carrying on over the Good Friday sermon by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa. In it, he supposedly made an inappropriate comparison between the recent attacks on the Roman Catholic church and past attacks on Jews. And many, even Ruth Gledhill, are using the sermon as an opportunity to attack the RC church as a whole.

But before we get overwrought, let us actually read the sermon passage in question:

By a rare coincidence, this year our Easter falls on the same week of the Jewish Passover which is the ancestor and matrix within which it was formed. This pushes us to direct a thought to our Jewish brothers. They know from experience what it means to be victims of collective violence and also because of this they are quick to recognize the recurring symptoms. I received in this week the letter of a Jewish friend and, with his permission, I share here a part of it.

He said: "I am following with indignation the violent and concentric attacks against the Church, the Pope and all the faithful by the whole world. The use of stereotypes, the passing from personal responsibility and guilt to a collective guilt remind me of the more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism. Therefore I desire to express to you personally, to the Pope and to the whole Church my solidarity as Jew of dialogue and of all those that in the Jewish world (and there are many) share these sentiments of brotherhood. Our Passover and yours are undoubtedly different, but we both live with Messianic hope that surely will reunite us in the love of our common Father. I wish you and all Catholics a Good Easter."

And also we Catholics wish our Jewish brothers a Good Passover.

My! How terrible! I must now go bash Cafflicks!

Seriously, I think to be offended by that sermon, one must be looking for excuses to be offended . . . or to Catholic bash.

I am confident my pious readers have better things to do and will have a quiet and peaceful Holy Saturday and a glorious Easter. And I also hope my Jewish friends have a Good Passover indeed. And my non-believing friends may be assured my thoughts and prayers are with you as well. God bless.