Should Hebrews who become Catholics repudiate the Mosaic Law?
I am sad that this question should even be asked. My answer is simple: no! “Provided they were in no way believed to be necessary for salvation”, many observances could be retained by Hebrew Catholics. Personally, I would encourage any Hebrew Catholic to do so. Obvious examples are (and please pardon my ignorance): • Circumcision. • Bar Mitzvah. • Phylacteries. • Dietary laws. • The Friday night Sabbath meal. • A reasonable observance of rest on Saturday. • The Passover. • Yom Kippur. None of these should be enforced on any-one, whatever their ethnicity. All Hebrew Catholics should be encouraged to observe as much as they find to be rewarding and personally helpful. As appropriate, gentiles could share in them. Many of these observances could be given a Christian flavour in a Catholic-Hebrew household. For example, the first few verses of the Gospel of John might be added to the standard text contained in the phylactery, a prayer remembering the passion of Christ added to the ritual of
Related Questions
- I was told that the Churchs law permits Catholics to satisfy their Sunday obligation at a schismatic orthodox ceremony, and that this was the case both before and after Vatican II. Is this true?
- Do Catholics have an obligation to know their rights and duties under canon law?
- What does Mosaic law mean?
