IN THEORY:Will there be fallout from pope’s proclamation?

Pope Benedict XVI recently approved a document asserting that the Roman Catholic Church provides the true path to salvation and that other Christian religions are either defective or not true churches. Some religious leaders complained this will hurt ecumenical relations between the Vatican and other religions despite the pope’s insistence that he remains committed to ecumenical dialogue. Do you think this document will hurt relations between the Catholic Church and other religions?

In a spirit of faith-filled hope, I do not think the document, “Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church,” will hurt relations between the Catholic Church and other religions.

The precisely worded document reflects and reaffirms Roman Catholic ecclesiology and the Church’s self-understanding of its relationship to other Christian churches as enunciated by the Second Vatican Council and more recently by Popes Paul VI and John Paul II.

Moreover, the document is the most recent invitation to dialogue.

In my role as the ecumenical officer in the diocese of Orange for many years, it became very clear that honest, theological dialogue between Christians presupposed and required theological clarity and defined positions if the dialogue was to be fruitful.

Ecumenical conversation is encouraged when all the participants clearly state the viewpoint of their respective faith community regarding the issue, whether it be ordained priesthood or the sacraments.

Contrary to some reactions, I believe that the Vatican document indicates the seriousness with which the Catholic Church views ecumenical dialogue.

Perhaps not accidentally, the theme of the 2008 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is “Pray without ceasing,” repeating St. Paul’s exhortation to the Thessalonians.

Paul’s plea is addressed to all — Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox — that we might one day realize the unity for which Christ prayed.

MSGR. LAWRENCE J. BAIRD

Would you really expect Pope Benedict to take any other stance? Of course the head of the Catholic Church is going to declare his approach the only real approach to God.

Joseph Campbell, the great mythologist, told of how a group of Buddhist monks met with a group of Catholic monks for a conference. The conference was scheduled for a week, but the heads of both organizations could only meet for a few days before they left, unable to stand each other’s presence. The rest of the monks found common ground and completed the conference.

Is it possible the closer you get to the head, the farther you are from God? True humility sees value in all approaches that come from the heart.

PASTOR JIM TURRELL

The Catholic Church colors life in just one direction, that of life after death and salvation.

Catholicism and Judaism are on two different paths, for the most part traveling in opposite directions. While Catholicism emphasizes and teaches people how to get to heaven, Judaism tries to teach people how to bring a little heaven on this earth of ours. We call it “tikkun haolam,” or simply, “repairing the world.”

Catholics preach a simple path to salvation; Jews try to improve the world by doing good deeds (mitzvahs). As Catholicism teaches the “fall of man and woman” in the Garden of Eden, Man seems as though he is constantly sinning (so enter in the Rabbi Jesus, the Catholic savior of mankind). Conversely, Jews accentuate the positive and play down the negative aspects of humanity (the sinning) — to do as many good deeds as possible in the world of the here and now — and are not as concerned as much with the world hereafter.

Catholicism has preached the only road map of salvation is taught by adhering to many creeds before acts.

All men, Jew and Gentile, should concentrate on who you are and what you can give to others for the greater good.

Somewhere in the distance a voice calls out for help, and the righteous man must answer. Jews are taught to believe in a spiritual heaven after death and living a life filled with justice for all as its primary goal before addressing one’s salvation.

RABBI MARC RUBENSTEIN