Sir, - Pope John Paul II's apology to the Jews, which continues and extends a process begun by Vatican Council II in 1965, is a most welcome step in recognizing the pain inflicted on the Jewish people over the centuries by the Church.
However, one cannot properly atone unless one understands what it is which requires atonement. Most Catholics (and indeed, many Jews) are unaware of the history to which the Pope alluded, and if, in the words of John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York, Catholics are to be "liberated by the truth", then they must know what that truth is. What has the Catholic Church done to the Jews that calls for such an extraordinary statement by the Pope? The Pope's plea for forgiveness is implicitly related to the conscious and consistent policy of the Church, over many centuries, to demonize and dehumanize Jews, and in the words of the 4th century Saint John Chrysostom, to "make them fit for slaughter".
These were not random acts by individual Catholics in opposition to Church policies. Rather, these were acts promulgated by the Church in full accord with its unambiguously articulated policies. A prime example is the way Church-fomented anti-Judaism led to the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th century. This Holy Order was created to seek out and burn at the stake Jewish heretics who had been forcibly converted but who were secretly clinging to the heritage of their fathers.
Over the years, repeated in countless sermons and passion plays, and incorporated into charges of blood rituals, a climate of contempt was created which often led to riots and murders of Jews. These feelings were so virulent that they left significant residual effects even after the teachings of Christianity were changed. Jews had been made into ready scapegoats, and the language of Christian anti-Judaism was adapted by many, including the Nazis, to establish credibility and acceptance for their programs of unspeakable horror.
Since the Church today strongly condemns anti-Judaism of any kind, some may wonder why it is even necessary to drag up an unfortunate and embarrassing past. Pope John Paul, however, has recognized that this history must be understood, and that atonement must be made, before a future of tolerance and respect for the views of all God's people can be fully attained. He is to be commended for the power of his leadership in this area. - Yours, etc.,
Lewis Weinstein, W 63rd Street, New York.