Wikipedia

Roman Catholics and antisemitism in the 21st century

According to historians, many Christians have had some antisemitic ideas since early Christianity.[1] For instance, the Church used to teach that all Jews were to blame for Jesus' death.[1] In 1965, Pope Paul VI declared that these ideas were wrong.[2][3] However, in the 21st century, antisemitism still exists in some Roman Catholic communities.[4]

Background

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Classical antiquity

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Further information: Christianity in the 4th century

In 380 AD the Roman Empire made Christianity its state religion.[5][6] The Catholic Church also became its state church.[5][6] These antisemitic ideas became common in many European kingdoms during the first millennium:[5][6]

Some European kingdoms created government policies based on these ideas, according to many historians.[5][7] These policies caused over a thousand years of persecution towards Jews, according to these historians, including:[5][7]

20 years after the Holocaust ended, the Catholic Church went through a reform to address this issue,[4] though antisemitism still exists among some Catholic communities.[4]

20th century

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Second Vatican Council (Vatican II)

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In 1965, Pope Paul VI wrote a document called the Nostra aetate. It rejected the Church's old antisemitic ideas. For example, it said that Jews were not to blame for Jesus' death:[2][3]

What happened in His passion cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today.

The Pope also said that Catholics should respect Jews,[8] and the Church should reconcile with them.[8] Vatican II caused division within the Roman Catholic Church.[9][10] Some conservative Catholics believed the Church's traditional ways should not be changed. Radical traditionalist Catholics were formed to oppose the Vatican II reforms.[9][10] Most of these groups are still active in the 21st century.[9][10]

2000 apology

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On behalf of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II made a brief apology on March 12, 2000 for the "errors" and "violence" that some Catholics committed towards Jews throughout history.[11] Academics are uncertain whether John Paul II was talking about the Crusades, the Inquisition, the burning of alleged heretics, or forced conversions to Christianity.[11] Israel's Chief Rabbi Meir Lau said he felt "deeply frustrated" because the Church never mentioned the Holocaust by name.[11]

Before and after the Pope apologized, radical traditionalist Catholics argued that the apology was a mistake because it could be "misused by those hostile to the Church".[11]

Radical traditionalist Catholics

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Bishop Vitus Huonder celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass (Low Mass) at Society of St. Pius X's Sancta Maria Institute in Wangs, Switzerland.

The American civil rights group Southern Poverty Law Center identified 13 radical traditionalist Catholic organizations active in the English-speaking world: The Fidelity Press, the Remnant, St. Joseph Forum, Tradition in Action, Legion of St. Louis, St. Michael's Parish, Society of St. Pius X, Catholic Counterpoint, Catholic Family Ministries, Omni Christian Book Club, Catholic Apologetics International, International Fatima Rosary Crusade and Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.[9]

Antisemitism is a key part of these organizations' belief systems, according to the SPLC.[12]

Some radical traditionalist Catholics are considered Holocaust deniers[9][13]. Some post their ideas in large forums like Reddit's subreddits r/Catholicism (255K members) and r/AskAChristian (21K members); many critics have called Reddit antisemitic.[14]

According to the SPLC, Traditional Catholics believe that:[12]

  • Catholics cannot trust Jews
  • Jews are the "perpetual enemy" of Christ
  • Jews have "infiltrated" the Catholic Church to make changes for themselves
  • Jews are responsible for Jesus' death, and this broke their covenant with God

Influential radical traditionalist Catholic groups

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Society of St. Pius X

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See the main article: Society of Saint Pius X
Further information: Antisemitism in France

Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) is one of the largest radical traditionalist Catholic organizations in the world. French archbishop Marcel-François Lefebvre founded it in Ecône, Switzerland in 1970 to resist the liberalized Roman Catholic Church.[9][10] Lefebvre was a supporter of the Nazi puppet state Vichy France.[9] He said that the liberation of France was the "victory of Freemasonry against the Catholic order of Petain."[9]

In 1992, E. Michael Jones wrote an article in his magazine Fidelity about an SSPX leader in Kansas City. He said the leader worshiped Adolf Hitler and promoted Nazism to his students.[15]

The Vatican tried to mediate with the SSPX over their different beliefs, but the SSPX refused. The Catholic Church excommunicated them in 1988, but reversed their excommunication in 2009.[16]

The SSPX has become the biggest Catholic publisher of Holocaust-denying materials.[9][10] Some countries, including Canada, ban SSPX publications.[9][10]

Scholars estimated that in 2016, the SSPX had 103 chapels, 25 private schools, and up to 30,000 followers.[15] As of October 2024, the organization had 700 priests worldwide. Of these priests, 180 were based in France; they operated 250 places of worship and hosted at least 35,000 attendees.[17]

Richard Williamson

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Richard Williamson (March 8, 1940 – January 25, 2025) is an SSPX bishop who publicly denied the Holocaust several times. He said there were no gas chambers in the Auschwitz concentration camp.[13][15] He also claimed that The Protocols of the Elders of Zion were true and insisted that fewer than 300,000 Jews had died in the Holocaust[13] in a Swedish TV interview.[18] As a result, he was fined €10,000 in Germany for Holocaust denial.[13][18]

At first, the Catholic Church excommunicated Williamson.[13] However, they later cancelled the excommunication and made Williamson a bishop again.[13] This created controversy over the influence of radical traditionalist Catholics within the Church hierarchy.[13]

Influence on U.S. politics

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In the United States, radical traditionalist Catholics have substantial influence over politics.[source?] In 2022 – 57 years after Pope Paul VI's Nostra aetate) – 11% of American Catholics still blamed Jews for the Crucifixion of Jesus, according to a poll by the Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations.[19] The poll also found that 13.3% of these Catholics thought Jews are "cursed by God". Additionally, 15.8% believed that God's covenant with Jews had ended.[19]

FBI memo incident

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In April 2024, the FBI was forced to withdraw an internal memo on antisemitic violence committed by radical traditionalist Catholics. This happened because some conservative Republican Congress members publicly opposed the memo[20] and misrepresented the FBI's moves as "persecution of Catholics".[20]

In one case the FBI had handled, a young SSPX member was arrested for the illegal possession of 6 smoke bombs; 8 molotov cocktails; parts of a Glock 19 pistol; a lower parts kit for the pistol; a 3D-printed Glock 19 frame; a magazine; and 9mm ammunition.[20] This individual claimed to be "anti-Zionist" and "anti-progressive".[20]

Later, a 120-day congressional review found no evidence that the FBI was biased against Catholics.[21]

Expansion

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A rising number of American Catholic churches have drifted towards radical traditionalist Catholicism,[22] rejecting the Vatican II that renounced antisemitism.[22] Radical traditionalist Catholic organizations, like the FOCUS and Newman Centers, have also seen a massive spike in youth membership[22] and viewership of their allied cable TV networks (like EWTN).[22]

Academics

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Some scholars with Catholic backgrounds promote antisemitic ideas.

Marek Jan Chodakiewicz

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Marek Jan Chodakiewicz (born July 15, 1962 in Warsaw, Poland) is a Polish-American historian and member of the Polish Catholic Church.[23] He has promoted controversial views about the Holocaust.[23] Chodakiewicz has written that:[23]

  • "Many Jews collaborat[ed] with Soviet Communists"
  • "Jews [are] more likely to kill Poles after WWII"
  • For these reasons, the murder of Jewish survivors returning to their homeland[24] was "not antisemitic"[25][26]

Many historians (including Princeton University history professor Jan T. Gross and University of Toronto Polish history professor Piotr Wróbel) criticized Chodakiewicz. They said that Chodakiewicz had written several pieces that trivialized the Holocaust and the violent antisemitism of many Polish Catholics.[23] In his 2003 book After the Holocaust: Polish Jewish Relations in the Wake of World War II, he underestimated the number of Jews that Polish Catholics had killed in post-war pogroms.[26][24] He also accused many of the victims of being "Jewish Communists."[23]

Chodakiewicz has also appeared in traditionalist Catholic media like the Radio Maryja, which has promoted conspiracy theories about Jews.[23] In a 2001 interview by this radio, he accused "Jewish memoirists" of "bragging about" the shooting of hundreds of Poles by "Jewish partisans."[23]

Despite Chodakiewicz's record of antisemitic writings, United States President George W. Bush made him a member of the oversight board of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington, D.C.[23] He served on the board until 2010.[23]

Inquisition denial

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Background

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Main articles: Inquisition and Spanish Inquisition

In 1229, Dominicans in Rome set up the permanent Inquisition to persecute heretics and non-Christians,[27] especially Jews. Meanwhile, the Spanish Inquisition was founded in 1478 and run until 1834, during which the Catholic Spanish Empire unleashed a systematic campaign of persecution of Jews,[7][28] due to its racist belief that Jews who converted to Catholicism (conversos) were mostly faking as Christians,[7][28] including those forcibly converted following the Alhambra Decree, or the Edict of Expulsion.[7][28] As many as 300,000 Jews under Catholic Spanish rule were killed over false charges of "crypto-Judaism,"[7][28] a charge slapped on Jews who were forcibly converted.[7][28]

The Vatican

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In 2004, the Roman Catholic Church claimed that the judges of the Inquisition were "not as brutal as previously believed" and that most trials "were not carried out by Catholic courts".[29] The church that ,[29] They also added that the victims on trial were often "tortured for only 15 minutes in the presence of doctors".[29]

Spain

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Further information: Antisemitism in Europe § Spain

For the past decade, Catholic-led movements within Spain (67.4% Catholic in 2018[30]) have emerged to rewrite the history of the Spanish Inquisition.[31] Members of the movements released a series of books, films, TV programs and mobile exhibitions[31] to beautify the Inquisition-associated Spanish history.[31] Meanwhile, a 2023 ADL poll found that 26% of Spain's population held extensive antisemitic beliefs,[32] followed by Belgium (24%), France (17%), Germany (12%) and the UK (10%).[32]

In 2024, Spanish Jews make up 0.093% of Spain's population of 48,370,000. In April, the Observatory for Religious Freedom and Conscience found that at least 36 attacks had happened to Spanish Jews between 7 October 2023 and 19 April 2024, about six attacks per month.[33] In July, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights found that 78% of Spanish Jews saw antisemitism as a big problem in Spain.[34]

Responses

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United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

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On December 11, 2024, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop (USCCB) announced the adoption of the Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition[35] drafted together with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in response to worsening antisemitism in America since 7 October 2023.[36]

As of December 30, 2024, the 1985 revision of the USCCB Guidelines for Catholic-Jewish Relations is still in place.[37] The General Principles of the Guidelines include but not limited to[37]

  1. Prayer in common with Jews should be encouraged when mutually acceptable
  2. Proselytism, which does not respect human freedom, is carefully to be avoided
  3. Catholic–Jewish meetings are dedicated to fostering mutual respect and eliminating misunderstandings
  4. A commission or secretariat is recommended to be assigned to Catholic–Jewish relations in each diocese

Meanwhile, the Recommended Programs under the Guidelines encourage the[37]

  1. Advancement of Catholic–Jewish relations on all levels
  2. Removal of content from catechesis and homilies that blames all Jews for the Crucifixion of Jesus
  3. Rejection of the historically inaccurate notion that Judaism was a "decadent formalism and hypocrisy"
  4. Further analysis of such phrases as "the Jews" by St. John in modern context to erase negative undertones about Jews
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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Feldman, Louis Harry (1996-01-01). Studies in Hellenistic Judaism. Brill. p. 309. doi:10.1163/9789004332836. ISBN 978-90-04-33283-6.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1
    • "The resurrection of Christian antisemitism". The Jerusalem Post. June 18, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2024. John the Golden-Throat (a.k.a. Chrysostom), ascended the pulpit in 347 CE where he began the first of eight sermons in a series titled, Adversus Judaeos; in English, Against The Jews [. ...] Chrysostom began his diatribe against all Jews by attacking Christians who celebrated Jewish holy days honoring the same God as Christianity, agreeing to disagree about Jesus. "We must first root this ailment out," he said, "and then take thought of matters outside. We must first cure our own." They are sick, he said, "with the Judaizing disease [...] deserving stronger condemnation than any Jew.
    • Berger, J. M.; Broschowitz, Michael S. (April 25, 2024). "John Chrysostom: The Architect of Antisemitism". Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism. Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Retrieved October 6, 2024. Modern antisemitism is informed by concepts articulated more than 1,600 years ago by John Chrysostom, an early father of the Christian Church [. ...] Chrysostom articulated several key tropes [...] including the belief that Jewish people are "schemers" and that they engage in human sacrifice [. ...] introduced dehumanizing language that foreshadowed the genocidal rhetoric of the Nazis who cited John Chrysostom [... .] Chrysostom is still cited by antisemitic extremists online and offline on a daily basis.
    • Rev Tim Gutmann (May 10, 2024). "Christians can't let history repeat itself when it comes to antisemitism". Premier Christianity. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Tausch, Arno; Obirek, Stanislaw (2020). Global Catholicism, Tolerance and the Open Society: An Empirical Study of the Value Systems of Roman Catholics. ISBN 978-3-030-23241-2. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Fumagalli, Pier Francesco. "The Roots of Anti-Judaism in the Christian Environment". The Vatican. Retrieved December 12, 2018. Finally, two points are repudiated which in the past were the roots of persecution: the accusation that the Jewish people were collectively and forever responsible for the death of Christ (the so-called deicide) and anti-Semitism.
  9. ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Radical Traditional Catholicism". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6
  14. ↑
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Radical Powerhouse". Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2024. The Society of St. Pius X, which has chapels and schools across the United States, remains a font of anti-Semitic propaganda.
  16. ↑ "Decree remitting the excommunication "latae sententiae" of the Bishops of the Society of St Pius X". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
  17. ↑ Lasserre, Matthieu (October 10, 2024). "36 years after the schism, what does the Society of Saint Pius X represent?". La Croix International. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Meikle, James (April 16, 2010). "German court fines British bishop for Holocaust denial". The Guardian. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Gfeller, Kevin (April 20, 2023). "First-of-its-kind Survey Reveals American Catholics' Attitudes Toward Jews Have Improved in Last Century". Saint Joseph's University. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Pattison, Mark (April 24, 2024). "FBI memo examined activities of far-right radical Catholics ahead of 2024 election". La Croix International.
  21. ↑ "No Bias Found in F.B.I. Report on Catholic Extremists". The New York Times. April 18, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Sullivan, Tim (May 1, 2024). "'A step back in time': America's Catholic Church sees an immense shift toward the old ways". Associated Press (AP). Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 23.7 23.8 Keller, Larry (November 29, 2009). "Historian Marek Jan Chodakiewicz with Controversial Views Served on Holocaust Museum Board". Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Retrieved December 29, 2024. A historian with unusual views — some call them anti-Semitic — helps oversee a key institution memorializing the Holocaust
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1
  25. ↑ Keller, Larry (November 29, 2009). "Historian Marek Jan Chodakiewicz with Controversial Views Served on Holocaust Museum Board". Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Retrieved December 29, 2024. A historian with unusual views — some call them anti-Semitic — helps oversee a key institution memorializing the Holocaust
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1
  27. ↑ Lea, Henry Charles (1888). "VII". A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages: Volume 1. ISBN 1-152-29621-3. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2
  30. ↑ "2018 Report on International Religious Freedom: Spain" (PDF). U.S. Department of State. 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Jones, Sam (April 29, 2018). "Spain fights to dispel legend of Inquisition and imperial atrocities". The Guardian. Retrieved December 24, 2024. Campaigners want to reclaim the country's past from 'distorted propaganda'
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "Antisemitism is deeply ingrained in European society, says EU official". The Guardian. October 30, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  33. ↑ "36 attacks in 6 months against Jews in Spain, with a government praised by Hamas". Contando Estrelas. April 22, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  34. ↑ Grave-Lazie, Lidar (November 21, 2024). "Is it safe to be Jewish in Spain?". Ynetnews. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition" (PDF). American Jewish Committee (AJC). Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  36. ↑ "New Glossary Breaks Ground in Tackling Antisemitism Through a Catholic Lens". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 "Guidelines for Catholic-Jewish Relations". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Retrieved December 30, 2024.
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