The Jewish community and Archbishop Burke
Over the weekend, I have been reflecting on the news of Archbishop Burke’s transfer to Rome. As an active participant in interfaith activities in St. Louis, I have encountered Archbishop Burke in a number of community settings. The first time was at a small dinner of welcome arranged by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the Jewish Community Relations Council. He carried himself as a warm and somewhat shy person, but comfortable in the midst of the Jewish community. He reflected on his interactions with the Jewish community of La Cross, Wisconsin his former diocese, and looked forward to working with the St. Louis Jewish community on matters of mutual concern.
For the media in St. Louis, Archbishop Burke was a blessing. His denial of communion to supporters of “choice” in the national debate on abortion, made the national news. It was an election year. As a rabbi, I was more focused on his interaction with the local interfaith community. During that first year, he eagerly joined a panel of the Interfaith Partnership discussing the proper role of religion in the public square. This would be a respectful audience for the Archbishop to make his case. In that discussion he forthrightly stated the official Catholic Church positions and then attempted to make a case for those positions being the only logical ones that one could hold, if one understood the concept of the Natural Law. He implied that even Judaism accepted the concept of Natural Law. It was a very revealing insight into how Archbishop Burke would deal with ethical and moral dilemmas. There would be very little room for shades of gray. It also demonstrated a willingness to overlook the reality of Jewish life. There is more than one thoughtful Jewish approach to most ethical and moral problems. Many of these approaches conflict with one another and there is no supreme pontiff to declare which is the official teaching of Judaism. Natural Law arguments were not going to impress many in the interfaith community.
Last December Archbishop Burke suddenly, and without prior warning, removed Father Vincent Heier from his post as the Chief Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer of the St. Louis Archdiocese. Father Heier requested some time off to deal with some personal issues. Burke used the request as an opportunity to replace Father Heier altogether. Heier had become a nationally recognized player in the interfaith arena. He and our own beloved Rabbi Robert P. Jacobs, (may his memory be for a blessing) co-hosted a national interfaith meeting here in St. Louis, during the time of Archbishop John May (may his memory be for a blessing). The Jewish community was stunned at the shabby treatment of our dear friend. The interfaith community could not make any sense of this action, in light of the fact that Father Heier had served with distinction under two previous Archbishops.
In recent weeks, Archbishop Burke’s personal support for the newly created religious community to be headquartered here in St. Louis, known as the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope, gave me reason to wonder at the Archbishop’s current intentions with regard to the Jewish community. The new religious community was founded by Rosalind Moss, a host on the Eternal Word Television Network. Moss was born and raised in a Jewish home and for a time was an Evangelical Protestant, before her conversion to Catholicism. Her husband brother, David Moss is also a convert to Catholicism from a Jewish home. The new community appears to be a proseltyzing effort directed especially towards Jews. I view this, at best, as a misguided effort at saving the Jews from damnation and at worst, as yet another attempt to water down or disregard altogether the last forty years of dialogue and cooperation between The Catholic Church and the Jews, under the Vatican II document known as Nostra Aetate. Simply put, Jews understand the Church’s need to gain converts, but find programs which target Jews as Jews, to be offensive and contrary to recent Church statements. Now, this will be an item on the agenda for the next Archbishop.
Mark Shook, 62, of Creve Coeur, is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Temple Israel of Creve Coeur. In addition, he teaches Jewish Philosophy/Theology at St. Louis University and offers a once monthly commentary on radio station KWMU. Mark is married and has two children and three grandsons. He plays golf only on days ending in "Y." 
We will start from the bottom up…
Ultrafish - Except the rabbi is offering his opinion on matters and issues that he obviously was not well informed on. I have no doubt that we is an intelligent and well-educated man, but can he honestly speak for the internal happenings of Burke’s office or the reasons behind them? People have posted that obviously were closer to the situation than he was and have dismissed what he said. Is it right to be offended by something when you are forming your opinion on misinformation and leaps of faith (pun intended)? I do not doubt your statement that the rabbi is well respected, but no man is perfect. This blog was a mistake on his part. It happens.
RNC - I regularly attend a Latin mass because I find it interesting. My dad goes because it was how mass was said when he was an altar boy. A lot of the people I see in these masses are older, and quite frankly I think it is more a trip down memory lane than anything else. We are not a member of the parish but I do throw a few bucks in if I attend mass there that weekend. Your claim that it is a way to bring back wayward Catholics or increase revenues is idiotic at best. If you want to make an argument then be my guest but do not make up stats like “double or triple” their collections because it invalidates anything you write, unless you can prove it.
Pam - Please understand that no one blames your congregation or any part of its membership. Yes the ordination of a female “priest” was offensive but that particular rabbi was acting on their own behalf. No one things less of you because of the actions of one person. For that matter, the whole thing was more of a political statement (feminist in basis) than religion in my opinion anyway. But regardless, there is no ill will towards you or your community.
RNC - How, exactly, should bishops be appointed? Should we appoint Al Gore the new CEO of Microsoft because he is leader??? Or maybe someone with a background in the software business? (he did invent the internet though LOL). Burke was a leader, just not necessarily a popular leader. You equate being popular with being a leader. A leader does what needs to be done, and I certainly think Burke did that. Burke may not be liked by the good rabbi either, but his appeal to leaders in other religions can’t be the first thing considered. Don’t forget that the rabbi himself said that his faith often has multiple moral stances, so the Church’s standard operating procedure would be unfamiliar to him to begin with.
To all - This may be the best written and argued blog I have ever been a part of on the P-D site. Nice work all.