VATICAN, Oct. 5, 00 (CWNews.com) - The reaction to the recent Vatican document Dominus Jesus shows a lack of religious education among Catholics themselves, according to an American prelate.
Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore-- who has been a member of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity since 1994, and has been a leader in Catholic-Jewish dialogue in the United States-- lamented that few Catholics understand the theological language employed in the Vatican statement, and so many people have arrived at improper understandings of the document.
In fact, the cardinal continued, Dominus Jesus did not contain any important new teaching; the document reiterated traditional Catholic doctrine regarding the unique role of Jesus Christ, and of the Catholic Church, in the plan of salvation.
Cardinal Keeler, who was in Rome for the canonization of St. Katherine Drexler, added that Dominus Jesus contained nothing that should have disrupted Catholic-Jewish dialogue. He expressed regret that a scheduled day of discussions between Catholic and Jewish leaders in Rome, originally planned for October 3, had been postponed at the request of Rome's chief Rabbi Elio Toaff. However, he said that the postponement should be "of little importance, except for the Jewish community in Italy, which is very small, and which felt wounded by the beatification of Pius IX."
CWN - Catholic World News