Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Following queries with regard to an article by Prof. Michele Loconsole published in Fides 27 June, “Jesus the Jew: an authentic historic discovery or a storicist reduction?” (see Fides 27/6/2008), Prof. Loconsole sent the answers below.
1) The word for “master or teacher” in the Jewish language is Rav or Rab. The word Rabbi used in the Gospel means “my teacher” and “rabbino” means “our teacher”. This explains why it is not incorrect to say that Jesus was a “rabbino”, since his followers referred to Jesus as “our teacher”. It is however clear that the title they gave to Jesus had nothing to do with the title deriving from the rabbinate, which first appeared after the fall of the Temple and the school of Javne; and in any case, in the late middle ages. Pope Benedict XVI in his book “Molte religioni, un'unica speranza” (Ed. San Paolo 2007), writes at page 6 "if Christ were only a misunderstood Jewish rabbi..."
2) With regard to the term Incarnation, when I wrote on 27 June “Jesus affirmed...” I did not mean in the literal sense - in fact I did not put the words in the inverted commas typical of a direct quote - instead I was referring to the contents of His message when for example, and this time I use inverted commas, he said: “I come from the Father...” etc. Furthermore the explanation of Jesus' divinity in the Trinitarian sense is followed by a colon: here again this is not a direct literal affirmation of Jesus, but the New Testament, the Fathers and the Council spoke on the nature of the Trinity and the mystery of the Incarnation. To grasp what I meant it is sufficient to read chapter 10 “Jesus' declares his identity” of the book 'Jesus of Nazareth' by Pope Benedict and especially the paragraph “I Am”.
3) With regard to the virginity of Mary I think it is enough to refer to the Symbol (Creed) which draws its theology from Luke. However what I wrote on 27 June can be altered as follows (see words underlined):
a) Jesus was undoubtedly a Jew and always will be, but this was precisely why he criticised, as the authoritative teacher he was, the Judaism of his day, bringing to completion and to perfection what had been announced by the prophets of Israel…
b) From what he taught and testified we can affirm that He is the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity: true man but also true God and therefore God in person
c) Finally on this subject, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception on the one hand and on the other the fact that for the Church Mary was a virgin before she gave birth, while she gave birth and after she had given birth, are more than sufficient for me to affirm that what I wrote on June 27 was fully in keeping with Catholic Theology. (Michele Loconsole) (Agenzia Fides 18/7/2008)
