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Brothers toghether - The Richness of Fr. Rijk's Personality
Augusto Segre
I still only knew Father Rijk slightly when he invited me to give a conference at SIDIC (he was the director) in the via Garibaldi Center. As I came into the conference room I saw, written in Hebrew on the wall above the platform, the verse from Psalm 133: How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together! This was a great surprise for me, because the lecture I had prepared began with exactly those same words! I immediately pointed out this strange co-incidence to Cornelis, and our comments, spiced with his humour — a notable characteristic of his — led to the positive growth of reciprocal friendship and collaboration. The phrase we had both chosen could be taken to be more than co-incidence. I should say it was a symbolic one, because we were brothers in the full sense of the word throughout many years of shared work. We faced innumerable problems together, participating in any number of sessions, study meetings, prepared programs of cultural activities and contacts with the surrounding Jewish and Christian world, all accompanied with a traditional glass of whiskey and the smoke of my cigarette and his faithful pipe.
New Horizons
At that time we were at the very beginning of the Jewish-Christian dialogue and we had the feeling that, through the good will of a small number of people engaged in either the Jewish or Christian fields, this everlasting problem was about to open out to new horizons. My meeting with Cornelis and our subsequent work together in Italy confirmed what I had felt from the beginning: that in him I had come across the first authentic interlocutor of this new type of colloquy. My first impression of him, confirmed on hundreds of otheroccasions, was this very important fact: I recognized in him a steady will to act on the practical level, to put into practice as far as possible what had been declared in words, that is, to pass with serious commitment from the abstract to the concrete. Some people might say that these initial activities, seen against the vast and complex background of the great centuries-old problem of Jewish-Christian relationships, were small initiatives indeed, even if later they expanded to wider proportions. But we have to remember that when one acts seriously and responsibly, great goals are reached only by small steps.
Cornelis was a passionate lover of nature and the mountains, and I have often thought of him as an expert mountain guide who never stops but goes on moving forward with calculated deliberation. In the field of the highest spiritual conquests, also, Cornelis was an able and responsible guide and master.
He was gifted with a serious, deep cultural preparation both on the religious and on the humanistic levels. This is an extremely important and fundamental element if one takes into account the meagre scientific and exegetical preparation for the Bible and history which is so often found. To this weighty preparation that his innate honesty always considered incomplete — and hence his continual desire to go on studying with the same rhythm as in his youth, even when he was a lecturer of noteworthy ability — should be added other outstanding personal qualities.
The Living of Biblical Spirituality
He was naturally endowed with a high charge of spirituality that led him to perceive and live the religious values in their authenticity, isolating them, at times very decidedly and courageously, from those historical encrustations that overlaid and deformed them with grave consequences on the practical level of human relationships. In this matter I can affirm that he faithfully followed the biblical teaching of humaneness and justice. Good must prevail over evil, always, in all circumstances, uncompromisingly; this must be the basic criterion in relationships towards any group whatever. This was, as I see it, the constant effort that guided him in his mission. A small but very important detail that serves to illustrate this line of conduct towards his neighbour was his serene and captivating smile that lit up his eyes and words with steady optimism, encouraging conversation as well as facing up to difficult and complex situations. It demonstrates his solid spirituality, well above ordinary diatribes that lead away from the truth and the reality of problems. By this attitude of his he won the esteem, respect and affection of the Jewish world, in Italy and abroad, which saw in Cornelis an honest person, steadily and capably committed to the realization of these common ideals.
It would be too long to list all the initiatives that came from his mind and heart: a specialized library, one of the best of its kind which he carefully followed up and continually brought up to date; the high level conferences arranged throughout the year; SIDIC publications with so many outstanding monographs; the course on the Psalms attended with ever increasing interest with such a novel format which he himself had suggested; colloquies with professors from various university faculties that plunged into important and sometimes burning questions; meetings with international Jewish and Christian personalities; and above all, the meticulous work that makes neither history nor brings fame, but sustains all serious activity.
In a world that seems more and more arid and insensible to the anguished voices of our fellow men, overcome by the selfishness of technology and suffocated by private interests of all kinds, whether of ancient or modern inspiration, the figure and work of Cornelis Rijk take on considerable relief and leave to all of us a heritage of affection and precious teaching that must be carefully preserved and serve as a basis for continuing and broadening along the same lines his work that has been so prematurely interrupted. Perhaps a Higher Will has decided this so that each of us might carry within a living remembrance of our brother Cornelis, still youthfully absorbed in his work. This very remembrance should serve as an invitation, therefore, to continue his undertaking with an equal intensity of honest commitment.
My Friend was not there
In October last year, we gathered in the SIDIC Center to bid farewell to Sister Edward with whom I am so closely bound by ties of affectionate admiration. She was to return to London after dedicating her irreplacable activity to this Center alongside Father Rijk for so many years. But Cornelis was not there, he was already in hospital.
A short time before I left for Israel I was able to meet him in Holland where he was passing through traumatic moments. His voice, though slightly veiled, had its unforgettable tone. We were both moved as we exchanged greetings and good wishes. I invited him to come and see me in Jerusalem whence I was going to live, telling him how wonderful it would be to meet there and take up together the study of the Bible. He accepted with an enthusiastic tone even if overshadowed by the seriousness of his illness. We could not help foreseeing, alas, that this dream would be unattainable! He continues to be present with me, however, in my study and work.
An old saying has it: All you do, do with love. Father Rijk journeyed along this way and in so doing he loved his fellowmen and his fellowmen loved him.
May the memory of the just man be for a blessing.
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We have known Prof. Rijk for more than twenty-two years and at least once a year he visited us on our kibbutz. His letters to us were full of faith and of the conviction of his important and responsible work. He was convinced that good relations between the Catholic Church and the Jewish Religion and Nation will create understanding and common thoughts. We have lost a member of our family who has taken part in all important occasions with us. There was no birthday of our children and our grand-children when he forgot to send his congratulations. SIDIC was his life's work and we hope and pray that it may continue his task and that it will be his finest monument.
Bella and Naftali Meiri, Kibbutz Ein-Harod (Ichud), Israel
