Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
LeoD.Lefebure,GaudiumetSpes,NostraAetate,DignitatisHumanaeł
29
theologicalperspectives.Inresponsetostrongopposition,manybishops,es-
peciallyfromGermanyandtheUnitedStates,insistedontheneedforanew
statementoftherelationoftheCatholicChurchtotheJewsandaclearcon-
demnationofanti-Semitismandallformsofreligiousdiscrimination,from
whateversource.TurningtotheJewishpeople,NostraAetatenotestheroots
oftheCatholicChurchinthereligionofancientIsrael.Implicitlyrejecting
thelonghistoryofanti-Jewishteaching,theCouncilrecallstheapostlePaul’s
teachingthat“theJewsstillremainverydeartoGod,whosegiftandcallare
withoutregret.”18ThecouncilrejectsthechargethatallJewsaliveatthetime
ofJesuswereresponsibleforhisdeath,letaloneJewsoflatergenerations.The
DeclarationalsostatesthattheCatholicChurch“deploresfeelingsofhatred,
persecutionsanddemonstrationsofanti-SemitismdirectedagainsttheJewsat
whatevertimeandbywhomsoever.”19
Asdiscussionsofthechurch’srelationshipwiththeJewishpeoplepro-
gressed,someCouncilfathersproposedbroadeningthescopeofthedocument
toincludeMuslims,Hindus,andBuddhistsaswell.Thenewattitudetoward
theJewishcommunityhadprofoundimplicationsforthechurch’sstanceto-
wardeveryotherreligioustradition.ThefinaltextofVaticanII’sNostraAe-
tateacknowledgesthatinthepresentagethehumancommunity’severcloser
contactsamongnationscallfornewattentiontootherreligions,especially
“towhathumanbeingshaveincommonandwhatthingstendtobringthem
together.”20
TheopeningwordsinLatin,“NostraAetate,”mean“inourage.”Theypro-
claimawarenessthatthepresentageisdistinctiveinitsresponsibilitiestofoster
harmoniousrelationsamongreligions.Thecouncilnotesthatthereisanearly
universalreligioussenseofanunseenpoweratworkintheuniverseandhu-
manlife.SinceallcreationcomesfromGod,isguidedbyGod’sprovidence,
andreturnstoGod,thecouncillooksinhopeforafundamentalunityamong
thepeoplesoftheworldandcallsfordialogueandcollaborationto“recognize,
preserveandpromotethosespiritualandmoralgoodthingsaswellasthesocio-
culturalvalueswhicharetobefoundamongthem.”21
TheCouncilnotedvariousaspectsofreligiousexperience,mentioningHin-
duismandBuddhisminparticular,andsetforththefundamentalprinciple:
“thechurchrejectsnothingofthosethingswhicharetrueandholyinthese
religions.”22Byacknowledgingtruthandholinessinothertraditions,thecoun-
cilopenedthedoortoviewingotherreligioustraditionsasrecipientsofdivine
manifestationandgrace.GaudiumetSpesclearlyteachesthattheSpiritofGod
18NostraAetate,n.4.
19Ibid.
20Ibid.,n.1.
21Ibid.,n.2.
22Ibid.
