HEYTHROP DEGREE FOR THE CHIEF RABBI
The University of London, through Heythrop College, has awarded the Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks an honorary Doctorate of Divinity in recognition of his outstanding contribution to religion in public life. After the presentation of the honorary degree by Heythrop Principal John McDade SJ, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor congratulated Sir Jonathan saying: ‘It is a sign of the growing respect between Catholic Christians and Jews that it now seems to us perfectly natural that a College in the Roman Catholic tradition should acknowledge the contribution of the Chief Rabbi to religious and intellectual life in this country.’
The Cardinal continued: ‘This is the fortieth anniversary of the publication of Nostra Aetate, one of the most significant documents of the Second Vatican Council, dealing with the relations of Christians and other religions, but particularly with the Jewish people. Nostra Aetate means ‘in our time’ and as you know, spoke about the continuing spiritual bonds between the Church and those who were the first to receive the Word of God. The remarkable speed and depth of the change is one of God’s acts among us: Catholics now think themselves as related positively to Jews and their God-given mission to the world.’
Fr McDade spoke of the Chief Rabbi’s distinguished engagement with the public sphere, particularly his ability as a gifted communicator to make complex issues intelligible for the general public without reducing them to banality.
‘In his writings, Rabbi Sacks has argued that unless they are very attentive, the different religious communities will be weakened by the prevailing liberal, secular culture which accommodates them,’ said Fr McDade.
‘Religious communities think that they are influencing the secular world around them, but often the truth is that they are being reshaped in a different form and that is not good for them; nor is it good for society which depends for its spiritual energy on the distinctive contribution which religious traditions alone can make. We need, he argues, a community of communities, each centripetally strong, in touch with its rich tradition and core identity.’