Procedures for the Composition and Approval of Official Statements

Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations

Type of Statement and Audience

Example

Procedure

1.      Input is requested from CCJR by a church, synagogue, or other institutional body.

Responses to questions in preparation for the 2008 Catholic bishops synod (Jan. 2008)

The Board arranges composition of the requested input, invites comment from the organizational members within a specified time limit, and sends the input.

2.      CCJR seeks information from a church, synagogue, or other institutional body through private correspondence. 

July 23, 2007 letter to Cardinal Kasper asking questions about the motu proprio on the Tridentine Rite.

The Board distributes a private copy of the letter seeking information to the membership. It is not to be distributed further.

3.   CCJR offers unsolicited recommendation(s) to a church, synagogue, or other institutional body through private correspondence.

n/a

The Board arranges the drafting of the recommendation(s) and invites comments from the organizational members and also approval of the regular members within a specified time limit. A minimum of 75% of the regular members must approve, but the private communication is signed only by the Board. Members receive a private copy of the sent letter, not for further distribution.

4.   CCJR issues an open letter that is being sent to some institutional body.

n/a

The Board arranges the drafting of the document. The draft is sent to the organizational members for their input and for their approval of its public release within specified time limits. Every effort will be made to achieve unanimity among the regular members for such documents and the release will indicate that unanimity. Open letters or position statements may be issued with a minimum of 75% agreement among the regular members, but in this case only the names of the regular member representatives who have approved will be published.

5.   CCJR issues a public position statement on some current topic concerning Christian-Jewish relations.

Statement on the Controversies Surrounding Mel Gibson’s The Passion of Christ (Jan 3, 2004)