Earlier today, I came across this photograph below, and did not immediately recognise the priest holding the monstrance.
Wondering if others would have the same difficulty, I did a quick survey of my co-workers in the Archdiocesan office, and found that about 6 out of ten claimed to have no knowledge of the subject, although they thought he looked familiar.
Do you recognise him?
(Credit)
About Schütz
I am a PhD candidate & sessional academic at Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, Australia. After almost 10 years in ministry as a Lutheran pastor, I was received into the Catholic Church in 2003. I worked for the Archdiocese of Melbourne for 18 years in Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations. I have been editor of Gesher for the Council of Christians & Jews and am guest editor of the historical journal “Footprints”. I have a passion for pilgrimage and pioneered the MacKillop Woods Way.
It looks a bit like Pope Frank.
Yes, doesn’t it? Always a good thing to be able to recognise the boss…
Yes most folks are used to seeing the white little cap. Same as most folks would not recognise you with out a hat or something that stands out.
I beg David’s creative indulgence in allowing me to post a comment on his “tweets” here, since there seems no other place suitable to do so.
I found myself asking why we need, per Koch, a Jewish theology of Christianity and a Christian theology of Judaism? Don’t we already have one? Namely, that in Jewish eyes, Christians have made a god of a 1st century Jewish eccentric and indeed committed the blasphemy of equating him with the Yah-weh of their special covenant? Namely, that in Christian eyes, the Jews have failed to see in Jesus the fulfilment of their special covenant in a larger more generous direction?
What possible development of such theologies could be made without compromising the above?
Mind you, I’m not saying the above does not need compromising! But rather, that it seems to me to be insincere to propose a new “theology” without any indication whatsoever that a real change is intended: will, for example, there be an announcement, accompanying any new theological formulation, that the previous theology was wrong?
If I may inject a little of my own theology here: I don’t think the Christian covenant has much to do with the Jewish covenant at all. It is clearly – at least, historically, in the hands of Christians, if not Jesus himself – a rejection of the former, for all practical purposes. For most Christians, Jesus’ Jewishness appears to be seen and treated as an embarrassing incidental, a fact to be airbrushed away: Jesus was not really a Jew, he was the Son of God intent on establishing a new order.
I admit my position sounds Marcionist. But think about the intentions of Christians and Jews here. They are never going to reconcile, I don’t think, at least not in any sense that would be palatable to the self-confessing orthodox in either camp. Thus, looked at more closely, I am not Marcionist at all; I really do believe that Christians and Jews are simply two groups of humans trying to give expression to the ineffable and mysterious – their relationship with a foundational force called God. Adonai. The Father. Etc. Rather it is those who believe that THEIR covenant is the ultimate or absolute, that most resemble Marcion who desired to keep his faith “pure”.
Well, these are my initial thoughts. But what do other readers think of the calls for theologies or newer explanations? What do you think is behind it? What will they achieve? I invite comments and criticisms, or even better, discussion and reflection.
Hi, Stephen. Thanks for this comment. I have been considering doing a longer blog post on the issue (to break the drought a bit). So please be patient, and I will get around to it. I have a paper I want to share with the world on this subject.
Have you made any progress on your paper, David? I know how things can get in the way, so I am quite patient(!) but I was intrigued by what you might say and how it might answer my questions.
PS I followed your Cammino description with interest. Yesterday I visited the Bruderhof, Eberhard Arnold’s inspired movement. A very powerful and positive experience.
Yes, actually, I have written my paper, and all I have to do is post it.
but it is late at night and I can’t remember how to do that off the top of my head, so I will give it a go in the morning.
Something interesting: I have been attending a course led by a Jewish historian at the Jewish Museum in Melbourne called “How Jesus the faithful Jew became a Christian”. He actually does the subject matter more credit than that controversial title would lead you to expect.