Bishops call efforts to convert Jews unacceptable

WASHINGTON — A joint task force of Roman Catholic bishops and Jewish rabbis has concluded that targeting Jews for conversion is “no longer theologically acceptable in the Catholic Church” because Jews “already dwell in a saving covenant with God.”

So says a 12-page statement released Aug. 12 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Council of Synagogues, which represents Reform and Conservative Judaism. The statement was first discussed last March at a New York City summit.

The two-part document — one section written by Jews, the other by Catholics — represents the latest thaw in Catholic-Jewish relations that was begun by the Second Vatican Council from 1962 till 1965.

“A deepening Catholic appreciation of the eternal covenant between God and the Jewish people, together with a recognition of a divinely given mission to Jews to witness to God’s faithful love, led to the conclusion that campaigns that target Jews for conversion to Christianity are no longer theologically acceptable in the Catholic Church,” the document said.