POPE HALTS PRAYER

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30106, 15 April 1963, Page 11

POPE HALTS PRAYER

Description Of Jews Banned

(N.Z.P.A. -Reuter— Copyright)

VATICAN CITY. April 14. Pope John halted the prayers during a Good Friday service in St. Peter’s Basilica, before a congregation of 8000. on Friday when he heard an erroneous reference to ‘’perfidious Jews,” the Associated Press reported He ordered that the recitation of the prayers begin

The Pope himself ruled four years ago that a collect referring to the Jews as “perfidious” be modified to remove the adjective. It is one of eight collects sung during the Good Friday ceremony The prelate acting as canon inadvertently sang the old format of the collect, the Associated Press said. ‘Let us pray also for the perfidious Jews, that our God. and Lord, would remove the veil from their hearts . . .

hear our prayers which we offer for the blindness of that people . . (that) they i.lay be rescued from their dorkness.” the canon chanted in Laitin.

Pope John motioned to his chief of ceremonies, the Rt Rev Monsignor Enrico Dante, and had him halt the reading 'rhe canon began over again from the beginning of the first prayer The second time, the prayer was said without the adjective “perfidious.” which had long been a sore point with various Jewish organisations The original meaning of “perfidious" was “faithlessness” But the connotation of the word changed over the years until today it means “treacherous." the Associated Pt css said. T t was not until the first year of Pope John's reign, however, that the ancient prayer in the Good Friday service was modified.