Catholic Church policy has opposed attempts to convert Jews for decades. Organized attempts to convert Jews to Christianity come primarily from fundamentalist Christians and fundamentalist churches – which are from the dozens of denominations that grew out of Martin Luther’s Protestant reformation. Many of these fundamentalist denominations harbor anti-Catholic biases and some do not even consider Catholics – including the pope – to be real Christians.
Chabad-Linked Haredi Anti-Missionary Organization Calls On Pope To Condemn Missionary Activity By Non-Catholics – Many Of Whom Hate The Pope
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Yad L'Achim, a haredi anti-missionary and anti-assimilation organization founded by a Chabad rabbi and closely linked to both Chabad and the haredi yeshiva world, sent a letter to Pope Francis shortly before his visit to Israel this weekend calling on the pope to use his visit to issue a statement opposing attempts by non-Catholics to convert Jews, Ynet reported.
Church policy has opposed attempts to convert Jews for decades. Organized attempts to convert Jews to Christianity come primarily from fundamentalist Christians and fundamentalist churches – which are from the dozens of denominations that grew out of Martin Luther’s Protestant reformation.
Many of these fundamentalist denominations harbor anti-Catholic biases and some do not even consider Catholics – including the pope – to be real Christians.
Even so, Yad L'Achim wants the pope to deal try to stop these groups from trying to convert Jews.
"We hope that you will find the time to deal with this painful issue, which is both a religious and human problem. Unfortunately, we have been witnessing a serious phenomenon of growing escalation in Christian missionary activity in Israel. Thousands of Christian missionaries are operating in a manipulative manner among Jews of all ages, and of all parts of the public, in a bid to capture their souls and convert them to Christianity.
"This phenomenon is particularly serious when these Christian missionaries take advantage of the distress of disabled, sick, elderly Jews and new immigrants, offering them help with the direct goal of making these miserable people, who are members of the Jewish faith, adopt the Christian religion,” Yad L’Achim wrote, going on to claim that at least 150 Christian missionary communities are operating in Israel, and insisting that Catholic leadership – including the pope – must intervene to stop these non-Catholics from missionizing.
Yad L’Achim also reportedly wrote that the pope’s visit was a rare opportunity for "a dramatic turning point in the struggle [against missionaries]…Yad L'Achim expresses its hope, from the bottom of its heart and soul, that you will call for a ban on all missionary activity among members of all religions. Such a ban will undoubtedly help relieve the tensions created by the missionary activity and will be highly appreciated,” the Yad L’Achim letter concluded.
Many Yad L’Achim activists and Chabad itself back converting non-Jews to become followers of the seven divine commandments purportedly given to the children of the biblical Noah to follow. By most definitions, non-Jewish followers of “Noachidism” have to stop following all forms of Christianity and Islam and stop following all non-monotheistic religions while adopting haredi Judaism’s understanding of those seven commandments – which includes a provision stating that they must be followed by all non-Jews because the God of the Jewish people ordered non-Jews to do so.
While its late rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson was still alive, Chabad at his direction launched an international campaign to convert non-Jews to Noachidism.
Yad L’Achim has never distanced itself from that campaign.