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Is Every Seder Kosher for Passover? A document, called “God’s Mercy Endures Forever: over should be to acknowledge cornmon roots in the Guidelines on the Presentation of Jews and Judaism in history of salvation. Any sense of ’restaging’ the Last Catholic Preaching.” Intended to implement locally the Supper of the Lord Jesus should be avoided. The rites implication of the 1985 Vatican Notes, the U.S. docu- of the Triduum (Holy Week) are the Church’s annual ment deals largely with problems presented for Catho- memorial of the events of Jesus’ dying and rising. chers by difficult passages in the New Testament. Seders arranged at or in cooperation with local syna- It does, however, offer two ”pastoralactivities” of note. gogues are encouraged (No.28). The first was that the victims of the Shah should be We live in a unique time in the long history of remembered in prayer and penitence “on the Sun Jewish-Christian relations, a time of renewed hope closest to YmhaShoah” each year, giving sample inter- and understanding. Christian liturgical tradition cessions for use in Sunday Mass. The second related to began as an offshoot of Jewish worship. Indeed, the Passover. It is short enough to repeat here in full: earliest Christians, who were primarily Jews, looked ”It is becoming familiar in many parishes and to their own Jewish liturgical traditions to celebrate Catholic homes to participate in a Passover Seder dur- what they believed happened in Jesus’ life, death ing Holy Week. This practice can have educational and resurrection. Christians acknowledge this (long and spiritual value. It is wrong, however, to ”bap- suppressed) Jewish heritage of their faith when they tize” the seder by ending it with New Testament read- participate in a Passover seder with faith and re- ings about the Last Supper or, worse, turn it into a spect for God’s People, the Jews, and turn toward prologue to the Eucharist. Such mergings distort both them, not in the disputations of the past, but the dia- traditions. logue of reconciliation of the future. ’When Christians celebrate this sacred feast among themselves, the rites of the haggadah should be re- Dr. Eugene Fisher is Associate Director of the Secretariat spected in all their integrity. The seder should be cel- for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairsof the National ebrated in a digrufled manner and with sensitivity to Conference of Catholic Bishops. His book, The Jewish those to whom the seder truly belongs. The primary Roots of Christian Liturgy, was published by the Paulist reason why Christians may celebrate the festival of Pass- Press in 1990. Is Every Seder Kosher for Passover? A. James Rudin he Reverend Robert SomerviUe has almost got Passover is an ethnic festival filled with extraor- it right, but not quite, He clearly undershnds dinary Jewish religiosity. That is, in fact, the central T and appreciates the profound Jewish roots of meaning of the holiday. That Jesus, Whom Ek Eu- his Christian faith, and hh genuine sincerity in con- gene Fisher calls “a pious Jew of his time,” celebrated ducting his version of a Passover seder is evident. So Pesach as a Pa@m in Jerusalem k as scholars love far so gd. to say, unexceptionable. That a derwas mast likely But call fop Christians, qu the ’’Last Supper” is also not surprising, nor is it tians, to e deras an occasion remarkable that the matzah and wine became the above ethnicity and religiosity” leads him into an basis for the Eudtarist. ambiguous, even dangerous theological wilderness. But none of this means that the distinctive mes- As Somerville himself correctly notes, the Israelites’ sage and unique Jewish meaning attached to Pass- Exodus from Egypt and the sacred institutionaliza- over somehow came to an end with the rise of Chris- tion of the Passover holiday resulted in ”the initial tianity. On the contrary, the Jews who celebrate formulation and establishment of a ’National’ Israel.” Pesach, are the rightful heirs of that festival, even as Sh’ma Passover 1999 @ http://www.shma.com Christians are the rightful heirs of the Eucharist. The would be on more secure footing with the phrase, two faith communities may be parallel in histoy, but *‘Christiansand Jews have distinct faiths of uni- they are not congruent. versa1 value.” For these reasons, I strongly believe it is impera- I no longer use the term ”Judeo-Christian,” tive that the seder, the annual re-enactment of the however, because I know many Christians, but Exodus, forever remains a speaficallyJewish festival no “Judeos.” The term is used by some Christians of faith and family. Unfortunately even Somerville, simply as a convenient euphemism designed to ap- clearly a champion of constructive Jewish-Christian pease the Jewish community. I prefer the more relations, brings with him a whiff of historic Chris- accurate ”Jewish and Christian traditions.” tian imperialism and expropriation when he declares How should Jews respond to people like that ”the Passover takes on a broader meaning for the Somerville who wish to explore the Jewish tap- Christian without disturbing the original connota- roots of their Christian faith, especially during tion.” Fisher is again on target when he cautions Passover? The 1988 U.S.Catholic Bishops State- Christians not ”to baptize” the ment referred to by Fisher Passover. is an excellent place to be- But all too often throughout gin. Synagogues and other history, Christians have seen the Every religious Jewish institutions should Passover seder, indeed all of Ju- faith must have the provide their Christian daism as Fisher points out, as neighbors with an authen- mere preparatio Christi. That is absolute right to tic seder experience. the inherent danger in define its own This can be achieved by Somerville’s apparently benign presenting an educa- proposal for Christians to cele- rituals, liturgy and tional model seder for brate the seder within the Christian clergy and edu- church. festivals. cators. My own experi- One thing I have learned ence has shown that in more than thirty years of in- Christians are always terreligious work is that every religious tradition welcome guests and keen spiritual observers and every faith must have the absolute right to at such events. define and to interpret its own unique rituals, lit- Clearly, the prayers, food, music, and the urgies, and festivals. For others to do this sacred compelling Exodus story will strike responsive task is to invite distortion, lack of authenticity, and chords among the Christians who attend a even animus. seder. Fisher wisely suggests that “a rabbi, a This is especially true when Christians seek to cantor or another Jewish leader” conduct the deepen their self-understanding of their own faith seder, thus guaranteeing its distinctiveness. through a knowledge and appreciation of Christianity‘s During a model seder, there should be a full Jewish roots. Fisher is correct when he warns his fellow discussion of the meaning of a God of freedom Christians of ”the tendency to slide seamlessly from the who hears the cries of the oppressed and acts Passover readings into the celebration of the Eucharist, within history to bring deliverance and re- a blending of two quite distinct, albeit historically, demption. deeply interrelated theological rituals.” That is the kind of seder I would love to Somerville reflects a most welcome spirit when conduct in Somerville’s church. I am certain he speaks of the need for Christians to acknowl- it would be a fruitful and exciting experience edge ”with gratitude their ties to Judaism.” He for everyone. urges the increased use of the term ”Judeo-Chris- tian faith” as one means of expressing this concept. Rabbi James Rudin is the National Interreligious Affairs And he also declares that ”Christiansand Jews have Director of the American Jewish Committee.His weekly an inseparable faith of universal value.” Somerville column is syndicated by Religion News Service. Sh’ma Passover 1999 @ http://www.shma.com On &@ fit, thisp&rscage is d&turbiagP/ char: It is a djib- Let‘s agree: reasonable anger reasonably displayed is perfectly rmeqp. We& God to mehe nations who headw top natural and easily justified. Divine wrath is, well supernatural, and ~p~~~~~~.Aw1ot49J1 being divine in origin, really needs &-&on mto c&pourmt Pour out Your wrath upon the nations that know You no human justification. Having &”it is mr qmt& m& not, and upon the people that call not upon Your name. said that, as for requesting heavy tobeaddrasrad - duty divine wrath, count me out. ~~~ inti- tkat in or& The human variety of wrath is bad jib- tme naEismQk rwhto occur, we .imp KS 70w3 ~PKni3m enough: debilitating, contagious, ktobeGrmangrYaboutthditim and dangerous as in Guns don‘t At the heart of the Haggadah is Redemption. Not the kill people, wrath does. It’s a fact redemption of Israel from Egypt, but the redemption of that too many undeserving &place. fl,~ggg, & s@- Israel from Egypt as a paradigm for the redemption of the people get human wrath poured awfi-:- h- world from incessant suffering. The mettnentof the ini- on them - children, spouses, air- a ~~; m- redemptive story is the attempt to ”make it The 8- tial so.” line attendants. Why anyone during racljm; anda &re &mr- elements for effecting the end of history as we know it are would ask God to pour out His acts Ofsewm.gt &Jrn&h m- the same as they have “always”been within the rabbinical industrial strength wrath on munq, b./ &hr#, has framework. ”The world is sustained by three things: Torah, whole nations because they don‘t & & wmto tfiare &-Avodak and Wilzat Hassidim.” accept His sovereignty is beyond tims. Thus, the Haggadah allows us to invest omelves first me. Christians tried that with Jews 14s Rabbi Stom mgph, u;ts of within the world of Torah (“Comeand Learn”).
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