Dear Father,

What is best way to describe the status of the Old Covenant: superceded, abrogated, fulfilled, still in place, etc? Many Catholics to-day seem to think that the Jews do not need to be converted to Catholicism, on the grounds that God is faithful to the covenant he made with the Jews of old. It is often claimed that Vatican II (Nostra aetate) and the statements of John Paul II support this claim, and that the Church is no longer interested in "proselytism" among the Jews. What is the proper response to this?

Pope Benedict has recently made some statements which are regarded as reigning in erroneous views on this matter, namely, that Jews can be saved by the Old Covenant. The New Testament contradicts this over and over again, with statements that only in the Name of Jesus can anyone be saved. The whole missionary activity of the Church is based upon the premise that Christ and the Church are necessary for salvation, and our Lord Himself stated prior to His Ascension that those who fail to believe in the Gospel will be condemned. Finally, Saint Paul wrote (Galatians) that the Law (Old Covenant) can only condemn when it is not followed, it cannot save.

We do Jews and all other unbelievers a disservice by persisting in the heresy that anyone can be saved apart from Christ. We can debate about appropriate means about Evangelization, but not about the fact of the necessity of Christ for salvation.

Thanks, Francis

Father Echert

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