When I was in 8th grade, a Catholic classmate asked me why the Jews killed Jesus. This was news to me! I always thought the Romans were responsible for the crucifying Jesus.
The Second Vatican Council documents issued in 1962 were supposed to change that opinion. Yet as of 1972, the message hadn’t gotten through to that young girl.
Now 50 years later, the Jewish-Christian Dialogue (JCD) is holding its Spring Colloquium with the topic “50 Years of Vatican II: Where Are We Now?” The Colloquium will examine the changing relationships between Jews and Christians since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council of 1962 were introduced.
(Disclosure: I’m the VP of the JCD – see what happens when you start showing up to the monthly meetings? They make you an officer! I’d attended the Colloquium for years, but not the other get-togethers.)
The Colloquium will take place on Tuesday, March 5, 2013 with a daytime program with three presenters, (8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. breakfast and lunch included) and a separate evening talk with founders and early participants of the Jewish-Catholic Dialogue (7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.). Both events will be at Congregation B’nai Israel, 4401 Indian School Road NE, Albuquerque, NM.
The presenters are:
- Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld of Congregation Albert;
- Mary Frances Reza, representing the Archdiocese of Santa Fe;
- Rev. Wallace Ford, Disciples of Christ minister and past Executive Secretary of the New Mexico Conference of Churches.
The moderator is Rev. Judith Todd. Special guest speakers are Rabbi Paul Citrin and Rev. Ernest Falardeau, SSS, the founders of the Jewish-Catholic Dialogue. The name of the organization changed in 2012 to recognize the individuals from many other Christian denominations who were participating in the conversation.
The Interfaith Spring Colloquium is presented in association with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Congregation Albert, Congregation B’nai Israel, New Mexico Anti-Defamation League, New Mexico Conference of Churches, and the Norbertine Community of New Mexico.
Topics to be considered include:
- As believers in the one God, how have we fulfilled that legacy?
- How have relationships between Jews and Christians changed over the past half-century?
- Where did we begin, where are we now, and where are we going in our quest for understanding?
- What do we need to do, as congregations and as individuals, to truly show respect and understanding for differing religious traditions?
These are the registration fees for the Colloquium:
Day Program Only: $40 (students $20) includes breakfast and lunch
Evening Program Only: $10 includes refreshments
Both Day and Evening Programs: $45