Religion: A Time to Talk

On the day before Lent began, Ronald Sobel became the first Jewish rabbi to enter the pulpit of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the New York City citadel of Roman Catholicism. After he spoke, hundreds of congregants strode 15 blocks up Fifth Avenue to Sobel’s Temple Emanu-El—something of a cathedral for Reform Judaism—to hear Monsignor James Rigney, rector of St. Patrick’s parish.

The pulpit exchange inaugurated a year in which members of the two famous congregations will meet each month to discuss candidly such controversial issues as Israel, abortion, and parochial school aid. Similar dialogues have occurred in many cities, but this is the first sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York. An accompanying statement urged other local churches and synagogues to start discussions. The statement promises that Catholics will shun trying to make converts in the talks, but stops short of endorsing the Jewish position that all proselytism is wrong. Though no joint worship will be held, St. Patrick’s and Emanu-El hope to develop cooperative efforts against social injustice and what they consider “rampant” immorality in New York City.