Maggie's Farm

As Leag says, the Rabbi doesn't think it's anti-semitic, the interviewer simply asked the question. And, in light of the fact that Benedict is a German, that the Spiegel is a German publication and that the Rabbi is German, I'm not surprised by the question. Not to mention, European Jews can get a little suspicious about the attitude of the head of the Church that ran the Inquisition to convert, expel or kill them all. To the Rabbi's credit, he tries to draw a distinction when asked if the decision was anti-semitic. If you insult people, would you rather that they try to explain why they feel insulted, or would you prefer they stage a violent riot or fly an airplane into a building?

Many Jews believe that German Jews were too accommodationist with the rise of prewar antisemitism, and with the recent reappearance of European antisemitism, should we really be telling Jews to shut up when they express concerns about how the rest of Europe and the world regards them?

Personally, I think it's fine to pray for Jews, Christians, Muslims, Wiccans, atheists and anyone else, but when you announce it publicly by naming specific groups, when you make public prayers for them to emerge from their benightedness, don't be surprised if groups that you've previously persecuted find it a little offensive.

I don't know what theological or canonical imperative overtook the Pope leading him to change the wording right now, but one could cover the Jews by simply praying for all non-believers. Jews are the tiniest minority of non-believers, so the laser focus on their benighted state could seem worrisome to some Jews. And, I would add, it isn't just Jews who have concerns about what's going on in Rome. There are many Catholics and Protestants, including some very conservative ones, who worry about some of the influences on the Roman Curia.

Last, the Nazis killed Jews for being Jews. Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was born a Jew, which is why the Germans killed her. I just want to make that clear for others who might be less familiar with the history.

Sure. St. Maximillian provided shelter to Polish refugees, including 2,000 Jews whom he hid from Nazi persecution in his friary in Niepokalanow. Getting caught hiding Jews from the Nazis would get you killed in those days.