LOCAL NEWS THE UNBEATABLE DEALER THE UNBEATABLE DEALER THE UNBEATABLE DEALER JOE PANIAN'S AV TO SHOW SPECIALS Catholic, Jewish Clergy Seek Better Relations SUSAN GRANT Staff Writer T With the purchase of any new car or truck, out of stock units only. EXPIRES January 31st, 1991. MUST PRESENT COUPON FOR VALIDATION. ct» Geo Dealer MEDIUM DUTY TRUCK CENTER THE UNBEATABLE DEALER THE UNBEATABLE DEALER 10 FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1991 28111 TELEGRAPH AT 12 MILE & 1696 SOUTHFIELD D 355-1000 E THE UNBEATABLE DEALER en years ago in a small Maine town, two girls selling Christmas cards for the local parochial school knocked on a neighbor's door. The man who lived there told the girls he didn't want any, but if they had Chanu- kah cards he would buy them. As he answered their questions about Chanukah, the girls, realizing the man was Jewish, took a few steps back in horror and told the man his people killed Jesus Christ. When the man called the school, a nun told him she didn't know where the girls picked up that idea, but that the school no longer taught Jews were guilty of deicide. "The nun was right. The Catholic Church did stop teaching that some time ago. But those girls learned it somewhere," said Rabbi Daniel Polish of Temple Beth El, who told the story to an audience of 125 Jews and Catholics Jan. 8 at the temple. Rabbi Polish and Monsignor Alex Brunett, di- rector of the office of Ecumenical and Inter- religious Affairs of the Detroit Archdiocese, spoke on the state of Jewish- Catholic relations in celebration of the 25th an- niversary of Nostra Aetate in which the Catholic Church declared anti-Semitism sin- ful and renounced the charge of deicide. The event was sponsored by the Ameri- can Jewish Committee Detroit Chapter and Temple Beth El. While Jewish-Catholic re- lations have greatly improv- ed since Nostra Aetate (In Our Times), the story il- lustrates more must be done to foster better understan- ding between the two re- ligions, Rabbi Polish said. Pre-Vatican II teachings, including the belief Jews were guilty of deicide and that Judaism was an ob- solete religion, helped to create "feelings of distrust and hatred," Rabbi Polish said. "Before Vatican II, you couldn't attribute all anti- Semitism to Catholic Chur- ch teachings. Yet, the teachings of the Catholic Church did exacerbate those ideas." Monsignor Brunett said the section of Nostra Aetate about Judaism is only seven paragraphs long, but since its publication there have been many changes within the Church. Seminary studies now in- clude mandatory classes on Judaism and Church schol- ars are studying rabbinical sources, Monsignor Brunett said. The Catholic Church has erased anti-Semitic teachings from its yearly liturgy cycle and has helped clergy decide what to say when discussing Judaism. While the scripture cannot be changed, clergy members are giving it new interpreta- tions. The Catholic Church has come to appreciate Judaism, not just as a prelude to Christianity, but as a cove- nant with God in its own right, Monsignor Brunett said. "We can't understand Jesus without understan- ding Judaism," he said. "Jesus thought of himself as a Jew. He prayed as a Jew. He never renounced his Judaism. It's a question of converting ourselves toward Judaism." But tensions between Jews and Catholics have not dis- appeared. "The Catholic Church has not turned 180 degrees (since Nostra Aetate), but it has turned 120 degrees," Rabbi Polish said. "It's like a big boat. It can't turn around so quickly." The Catholic Church has not recognized the state of Israel or fully accepted its role in the Shoah, Rabbi Polish said. Jewish leaders were also angry about the placement of a Carmelite monastery at Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. The Vatican has since agreed to build the monastery off the camp grounds. Yet, while Catholics have learned to appreciate what Judaism means to Jews, Jewish leaders do not yet understand what it means for a Catholic to be a Catholic, Rabbi Polish said. Monsigor Brunett believes further dialogue between Catholics and Jews will ease those remaining tensions. He encourages dialogue on all levels including clergy and lay people and is pleased with the progress Detroit Jews and Catholics have made in interfaith relations. "Detroit doesn't need to take a backseat to anybody," Monsignor Brunett said. El