Anti-Semitism – hatred of Jews because they are Jews – is sometimes called “the ancient evil,” because it is indeed ancient, dating back to at least the third century BC in Hellenistic Egypt. The Greeks and Romans were both suspicious of the Jewish communities of the ancient world simply because they refused to adopt the religious and social customs of their conquerors, and the rulers especially disliked the strict monotheism of the Jews.
As a ‘set apart’ people, the Jews maintained their communities according to the rules of their faith and as a result were persecuted by the dominant powers and empires.
At least three times the Jewish people were taken en masse as captives and slaves: the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom around 722 BCE, the Babylonian captivity of the southern kingdom of Judah from 597 BCE, and the Roman captivity from 70 CE.
FAITH, FREEDOM AND THE FIGHT AGAINST INCREASING ANTISEMITISM
Christianity, of course, begins with the person of Jesus, who is Jewish and born of Mary, also Jewish. The first Christian communities were founded by Jews, including the original apostles and Paul. Almost all of Christian Scripture was certainly written by Jews, and what Christians call the “Old Testament” is exclusively by Jewish authors. It must be clear to Christians that anti-Semitism is contrary to their beliefs. But that wasn’t the case for hundreds of years.
The first three hundred years of the Christian faith were marked by persecution of their own communities by various rulers and especially the Romans, until the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, when Emperor Constantine ordered religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire. Again, because Christians have been persecuted, they should be suspicious of persecuting people who are different from themselves.
The Bishop of Rome gradually emerged as the first among equals among bishops, beginning with the Council of Nicaea in 325. The “Pope,” as the Bishop of Rome came to be called, was given special authority in subsequent ecumenical councils, including Constantinople I in 381 and the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The Pope’s role would ultimately be crucial to the reconciliation of the two religions.
Before very recent history, the Roman Catholic Church (of which I am a part) institutionalized anti-Semitism, especially from the Middle Ages through Vatican II, the great modernization council that started in October 1962 and ended in December 1965.
One of the products of the Second Vatican Council was the publication of “Nostra aetate,” which proclaims, in part, that the Church “rejects all persecution against anyone.” [and that] the Church, aware of the heritage she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the spiritual love of the Gospel, denounces hatred, persecution, expressions of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone. So while the Roman Catholic Church has been complicit in anti-Semitic persecution of the worst kind for centuries, it has condemned it over the past sixty years. People and institutions can change.
In any case, Catholics are obliged to condemn and completely reject anti-Semitism. John Paul II, often called John Paul the Great, oversaw the Great Fundamental Agreement signed in December 1993, which recognized the State of Israel and led to the exchange of ambassadors between the Vatican and Israel in June 1994.
While Pope John Paul II worked tirelessly to reorder relations between Christians and Jews and the Vatican and Israel. He also recognized and sought to repair the damage the Church had done to the Jews over the centuries. His successor, Benedict XVI, continued that work. Like John Paul II, Pope Benedict visited Auschwitz. In 2006, Benedict went to the infamous death camp, calling it a “place of horror” and also calling it “a place of memory, it is the place of the Shoah.”
“The past is never simply the past,” Pope Benedict continued. “It always has something to say to us; it tells us which paths to walk and which paths not to walk.” (The text of Benedict’s remarks can be found here.)
Benedict’s vast intellect is a good starting point for people of all faiths as they consider the alarming rise of anti-Semitism on the left and far right in America. He called on everyone to join the Catholic religious communities near the death camp in praying “that memory will promote resistance to evil and the triumph of love.” It is a call best understood as a duty for all free men.
Catholics and all Christians should be very slow to accuse anyone of the cardinal sin of anti-Semitism—”judge not, lest you be judged”—yet quick to condemn its embrace when its hideous face emerges in unmistakable form.
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Some enjoy that identity rooted in hate. Most who truly derive their identity from the old evil are mentally ill and need conversion and care. But some make the choice to hate Jews for a variety of reasons that cannot easily be traced back to mental illness, and they should receive clear condemnation, as this particular hatred can be considered contagious given how long it has lasted and how often its apparent eradication does not actually take hold.
Public figures should avoid proponents of outright anti-Semitism, never raise it without condemnation, and always quickly distance themselves from it. Because attention in itself is a reward for anti-Semites of the worst kind, and refusing to acknowledge their vile propaganda is the best tactic, while serious history is the best antidote to being exposed to it.
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Social media has allowed the old evil to gain new traction and spread into corners that were once considered shady and are now seemingly lucrative. But no one who wants to lead should go anywhere near the toxic pools.
So always condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms, but be slow to accuse anyone of anti-Semitism. If an anti-Semite insists on being known for his hatred, the best response is shunning. No arguing or debate, just avoid. Participation is rewarding, and only harm can come from that.
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