The background image represents two passages from Hebrew Scripture that link the Christian sacrament of the Eucharist to its Jewish roots: "We praise thee, Adonai, Sovereign of Life, Who creates the fruit of the vine!" and "We praise thee, Adonai, Sovereign of Life, Who brings forth bread from the earth!" 

Ingrid Shafer 
February 22, 1999

Adobe Acrobat/PDF Edition of Mahlon H. Smith's
Gibson Agonistes:
Anatomy of a Neo-Manichean Vision of Jesus
ISBN 0-931214-09-2 
(Philadelphia, Ecumenical Press,  2004)

Image of Leo Polen, Survivor (graphic)
The Jew as Pathogen (article)
Tikkun Community & Magazine
This Jewish Renewal site is dedicated to mending, healing and transforming the world through the power of love, faith, and reason with the kind of clear vision that dares to be critical of intolerance and fanaticism BOTH to the right and the left. IN the spirit of Rabbi Michael Lerner, "Jewish Renewal seeks a revolutionary transformation of the world: away from the ethos of selfishness and materialism and toward an ethos of love and caring."

We now recognize that for many centuries our eyes were blinded, so that we could no longer see the beauty of your chosen people or recognize in your people's countenance the features of our firstborn brother. We recognize the mark of Cain on our forehead. For centuries, Abel was lying prostrate in blood and tears because we had forgotten your love. Forgive us the malediction we imprecate falsely upon the name of the Jews.  Forgive us for having crucified you for a second time in their flesh.

I was recently told that according to Dr. Eugene Fisher, expert on Jewish-Christian relations with the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Conference, this prayer is not authentic. On the other hand, it is clearly in the spirit of Pope John XXIII. I am contacting retired Bishop Stecher of Innsbruck who was involved in the publication of Judenstein to find out the source used in the book. Please, add this disclaimer if you want to cite the prayer.
ihs 14 December 1999 

Pope places prayer in Western Wall
By Haim Shapiro

JERUSALEM (March 27) - In an intensely moving moment, Pope John Paul II yesterday made his way haltingly to the Western Wall, bowed his head and stood silently, then placed a prayer in the Wall. 

As the pontiff turned to leave, he paused and then turned back to the Wall for another moment of silence. 

He inserted a prayer which had been prepared in advance, which appeared to sum up in a few lines his appreciation for Judaism, his feelings about the persecution of Jews, and his aspirations for a new dialogue with the Jewish people. 

"God of our fathers, you chose Abraham and his descendants to bring your Name to the Nations. We are deeply saddened by the behavior of those who in the course of history have caused these children of yours to suffer, and asking Your forgiveness we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the people of the Covenant,"

Link to Guidelines and Suggestions for Implementing the
Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate