Rome, Mar. 14, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Some Jewish leaders continue to lodge protests against a papal revision of the prayer for Jews included in the traditional Good Friday liturgy. In an interview for the ANSA news agency, the head of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, Rabbi David Rosen, said that his organization is not satisfied with the new text, released in February on directions from Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news). He said that a delegation of rabbis from Jerusalem have delayed a planned trip to the Vatican to protest the prayer.
Pope Benedict revised the prayer in answer to complaints that the text-- used only in Latin, in Good Friday services following the traditional liturgy-- referred to the "blindness" of Jews. But some Jewish leaders have complained that the Pontiff did not eliminate the prayer that the Jewish people will recognize Jesus Christ as their savior. Rabbi Rosen said that he had received assurance that Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (bio - news), the Vatican Secretary of State, will soon release a statement of clarification, saying that the Good Friday prayer is not an invitation for Catholics to undertake aggressive efforts to convert Jews.