“What I can say, with the Apostle Paul, is that God has never stopped believing in the alliance made with Israel and that, through the terribile trials of these past centuries, the Jews have kept their faith in God. And for this, we will never be grateful enough to them, as the Church, but also as humanity at large. Persevering in their faith in God and in the alliance, they remind everyone, even us as Christians that we are always awaiting, the return of the Lord and that therefore we must remain open to Him and never take refuge in what we have already achieved.”
Yet, the scripture says “He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him”(Joh 5:23). How then can he say that non-Christian Jews have kept their faith in God, when they have rejected the Son and therefore the Father that sent Him?
“Given that - and this is fundamental - God’s mercy has no limits if he who asks for mercy does so in contrition and with a sincere heart, the issue for those who do not believe in God is in obeying their own conscience. In fact, listening and obeying it, means deciding about what is perceived to be good or to be evil. The goodness or the wickedness of our behavior depends on this decision.”
I’m not seeing how people are claiming that he was misquoted on this. He switches to speaking of non-believers, and then says that the infidel must listen and obey his conscience, “deciding about what is PERCEIVED to be good or to be evil. The goodness or the wickedness of our behavior depends on this decision.”
In my opinion, this entire letter says nothing, and is mostly useless. This particular section strikes me as confused and meaningless on purpose, suggesting on the one hand that there is salvation outside of Jesus Christ, while on the other hand remaining as ambiguous as possible.
“when they have rejected the Son and therefore the Father that sent Him?”
Most modern Jews never rejected Christ. They have never had Jesus Christ preached to them. Most Jews know little or nothing about Him and what they do know is often riddled with myths, misconceptions, and utter lies.
“In my opinion, this entire letter says nothing, and is mostly useless.”
Strange, I was just thinking the same thing - but about the posts of anti-Catholics here at FR.