Root / Catholic Church / Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales / Departments / Dialogue and Unity / Committee for Catholic - Jewish Relations (CCJR)
Committee Purpose:
To foster the relationship between the Church and the Jewish people, thus implementing the official teaching of the Church; to promote an understanding of the living faith of Judaism and the Jewish roots of Christianity; to encourage dialogue and reconciliation; to eradicate anti-semitism wherever it is found.
Passover Seder Guidelines for Parishes:
In recent years the custom has grown in many parishes to hold a Passover Seder Meal as part of the preparation for Easter. Parish priests hope that the event will help people understand the roots of the Last Supper and the Eucharistic Liturgy, but there is a danger that both the Jewish Passover meal and the Christian Eucharist will be misunderstood unless great care is taken with the preparation of the event.
The following points should be noted:
1. The Jewish Passover (Seder) meal is not something of the past and neither has it been replaced by the Eucharist.
2. The rite of the Jewish Passover (Seder) meal should not be altered by adding Christian prayers or New Testament readings. Neither should it be turned into a Eucharist. Such merging show a lack of respect for both Christian and Jewish traditions.
3. Parishes should, if possible, ask a rabbi or an observant Jew to conduct the meal. A preparatory talk from someone conversant with the Jewish tradition can be very helpful.
4. If an authentic Jewish ritual is not being used for the Seder and a parish meal is being held to mark the ending of the season of Lent or the beginning of the Easter Triduum on Holy Thursday, the meal should be called by another name e.g. an Agape, which means “love feast”.
The Committee for Catholic-Jewish Relations draw attention to the Committee’s pamphlet Guidelines for Catholic-Jewish Relations (CTS, 1994) where there is a fuller treatment of the topic, and to the leaflet Christians and the Passover Meal published by the Christian-Jewish Resources and Library at the Sion Centre for Dialogue and Encounter, 34 Chepstow Villas, London W11 2QZ.
More about the work of CCJR:
2007 October Weekend at Aylesford Priory, Kent
Archbishop of Canterbury and Chief Rabbis Joint Agreement signed September 2006
Full Report of the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-Semitism September 2006
Summary of the Report on Anti-Semitism by Sr. Clare Jardine
Archbishop of Canterbury and Chief Rabbis Agreement
2005 Holocaust Memorial Day Leaflet
The Committee for Catholic-Jewish Relations is chaired by Most Rev. Kevin McDonald of Southwark
The Committee Secretary is Sr. Clare Jardine
Tel: 020 7901 4842
Fax: 020 7901 4821