Thank you.
I found aspects of the letter troubling or at least wanting. Yes, we are grafted into the true faith and, so, our brothers in the Jewish faith do not have to convert, they are already in the true faith. But, is it not commanded that we are to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel? And, we not to provoke our Jewish brothers to jealousy for their (and our) God?
Also, I think I disagree with the Pope saying that there might not be any absolutes as this seems to say that God is not sufficient unto himself. Did he create us, for example, because he was lonely? The traditional answer to this does incorporate what the Pope said, so perhaps the Pope only gave an answer to a direct question, and not a complete answer.
God in his infinite love and creativity brought forth his Son and the Holy Spirit and through his Son created us and the entire universe as an expression of his love. So, it’s not that he was lonely, no even that he had to, but that he was impelled, freely, to express his love in his creation. Think of a great artist and a canvass. He is impelled, is he not, to express himself; but, this is not by any external force, but is an inner compulsion.
“Yes, we are grafted into the true faith and, so, our brothers in the Jewish faith do not have to convert, they are already in the true faith.”
That is not true...the whole point of Romans 9, 10, and 11 is that God, through Paul, is saying that some of the branches were broken off BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF(11:19) so that the Gentiles might be grafted in.
A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come it; and so all Israel [all who believe in Yeshua, their Redeemer] will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” (11:25-26)
If they (Israel) do not continue in their unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
(11:23)
This is what God says, not the pope.
Remember to whom Pope Francis was writing. And I see “absolutes” as possibly meaning “absolutes from a human perspective/understanding.” I’m still working on digesting the letter. I see this letter as directed to non-Jewish non-believers, aka pagans, atheists, secular humanists, etc.