Then they are wrong, and misinterpreting what the Church is. The Church on earth is full of sinners, with very few saints. The church exists to bring men the means of salvation -- not to validate their already-saved status. One is joined to the Church through baptism and belief, not behavior.
If the Rabbinate or others want to know what excommunication is and is not, they need to consult those who impose it and lift it. If they consult only themselves, they should keep their conclusions to themselves.
No one -- not even the Pope -- is responsible for the distortion of his words and deeds by others. The Church is in the truth business, not the appearances business.
That's irrelevant, whether or not it's true. This is politics (religious politics, but politics nevertheless), and in politics you cannot simply dismiss the messages you send by your actions, however unintended, as simply "wrong."
The fact is that the Vatican has not been exactly been on the best of terms with the Jewish people for the last two millennia, nor has it been on the best of terms with Israel for most of the last sixty. Remember, Pope John Paul II only recognized Israel in December 1993. So let's look at this from the perspective of the Rabbinate:
1) The Vatican refuses to acknowledge Israel's existence for the first 45 years, and has only acknowledged her for the last 15.And that's just the last sixty years. Jews have very long memories, and we haven't forgotten how we've been treated by Christians and Muslims for the last centuries. As a result, the rabbis are a bit sensitive to any hint that Christian leaders are (once again) turning on us. You might argue that it's over-sensitivity, but if you have any clue about the history of Jewish-Christian relations, you can't deny that the Rabbinate has a very real basis for its concern, especially given how narrow Israel's margin for survival is right now.2) Even having formally recognized Israel, the Vatican has tried to position itself as a "neutral" arbiter over Jerusalem's holy sites, including the Temple Mount, rather than recognizing full Israeli sovereignty.
3) As a result of the above, the Vatican has repeatedly been, shall we say, less-than-wholeheartedly-supportive of Israel when she has taken steps to defend herself.
4) At the same time that Israel's enemies are saying that the Holocaust is a Jewish lie (though they think having one would be a wonderful idea), the Vatican welcomes back into the Catholic fold a very vocal Holocaust denier.
Given how sensitive the Catholics on this forum are to Protestant criticism, I'd think you'd understand.
One is joined to the Church through baptism and belief, not behavior.
And this is why the rabbis rightly point out that Christianity is the religion of the creed, while Judaism is the religion of the deed. As Jacob (James), the Lord's brother, pointed out and as Catholics are quick to quote when in debates with Protestants over sola gracia, "Faith without works is dead."
If the Rabbinate or others want to know what excommunication is and is not, they need to consult those who impose it and lift it. If they consult only themselves, they should keep their conclusions to themselves.
So . . . you're saying that the Rabbinate has no right to decide whom to maintain formal relations with?
No one -- not even the Pope -- is responsible for the distortion of his words and deeds by others.
So you're basically saying that nobody has any right to interpret the Pope's actions in anything but the most rosy way possible--but that you're free to dismiss the rabbis actions as ill-informed at best, deliberately distorting the Pontiff's position at worst. Got it.
Say, is that a beam in your eye?
The Church is in the truth business . . .
Then purge the false witnesses from your midst, and stop complaining about others pointing out when you're embracing them instead.
Shalom.