The following is the text of a letter sent by Rabbi Joseph H. Ehrenkranz, Executive Director of the CCJU, to Cardinals William Keeler, Walter Kasper, and Dr. Eugene Fisher regarding the October 3, 2004 beatification of Sr. Anne Catherine Emmerich. Cardinal Kasper's and Dr. Fisher's responses follow. 

I am writing to you to express my concerns about the beatification of Sr. Anne Catherine Emmerich, scheduled for October 3, 2004. Our friendship is strong, so I ask your indulgence as I speak frankly. I fear we shall see an unwelcome setback in the Catholic-Jewish dialogue — one that is not unrelated to the recent release of Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ. I understand that many Christians were inspired by this film. However, forty years of hard work and solid theological dialogue since Vatican II were discarded in the sweeping and un-nuanced portrayal of the Jews as responsible for the death of Jesus. As you know, unfortunately, the extra-biblical source Mr. Gibson relied upon most heavily for his harmful caricature is The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, attributed to Sr. Emmerich.

The anti-Semitic content of this work is undeniable. Such prejudiced writings were common in the 19th century and reflected contempt towards Judaism. The revival of popularity this book is enjoying, due to the Gibson film, will only increase with Emmerich's beatification. I am aware that The Dolorous Passion was removed from the purview of the beatification deliberations and was discarded due to its inauthentic authorship. Clemens Brentano, the poet who befriended Sr. Emmerich and recounted her visions, is most likely the author of the book. The Congregation recognized this in 1916, but sadly, few Catholics are aware of this today. Silence about this fact after the Gibson film and while Emmerich herself is beatified would amount to a glaring moral injustice not only against Jews, the Catholic faithful, and the public consciousness at large, but also against the memory of Emmerich herself. This book flies in the of everything we have been working for and teaching and could be perceived as if it were an authentic, even privileged, commentary on the life of Jesus in the Gospels.

Whether Sr. Emmerich personally held anti-Semitic views, I am not prepared to say. However, given that the writings incorrectly attributed to her contain a virulent stripe of anti-Semitism, I hope the Church will do everything it can to distance a person whom it proclaims to be blessed from writings that are tainted by the serious sin of anti-Semitism. I hope that after her beatification, no one will remain susceptible to the lie that The Dolorous Passion is the work of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, lest he or she be misled to believe that the descriptions of the Jews in the book are those espoused and taught by the Church. Since Sr. Emmerich is to be beatified, can we at least be certain that the anti-Semitism of Brentano is not beatified along with her?

Cardinal Kasper responded:

Dear Rabbi Ehrenkranz,

I well appreciate the concern you express regarding the perceived negative impact on Jewish-Catholic relations deriving from any misunderstanding concerning the wrongful attribution to Sister Emmerich of The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, whose authorship is most dubious. However, as you state in your letter the authenticity of this work was refuted by the Catholic Church as far back as 1916, and has never since been an issue of contention.
Nonetheless, your concern is validly shared by me, and to this end I have written to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, asking that at the time of the beatification, it could be clearly called to mind that the work cannot in any sense be identified with Sister Emmerich, whose merits lie in much richer and exemplary virtues.
I take this opportunity to renew my most respectful regards,

Yours sincerely,

Walter Cardinal Kasper

Dr. Fisher responded (excerpt):

I am confident that [Cardinal Keeler] will be open to the idea of a statement of clarification such as you request in this instance…if that should prove necessary. I join with His Eminence in thanking you for the cogency and timeliness of your letter.

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