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Two pionners work together - The development of SIDIC
Marie Edward Berkeley, O.L.S.
Father Cornelis Rijk's close collaboration with SIDIC can be traced to its very beginnings when, following the Second Vatican Council, he was named by a group of Bishops as one of the three Steering Committee members of the new organisation named SIDIC — Service International de Documentation Judeo-Chretienne — which these Bishops asked to be created by the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion to help implement Nostra Aetate, the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.
From that day forward Fr. Rijk's interest in SIDIC never wavered. During his first six years in Rome, when he worked at the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, having been chosen by Cardinal Bea to be in charge of the newly-created office for Catholic-Jewish relations, he was always ready and eager to share his wide knowledge of Jewish-Christian understanding with the small group of Sisters of Sion who were struggling to bring SIDIC into being.
On leaving the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity at the end of 1972, Fr. Rijk became the official Director of SIDIC in January, 1973, which by then had moved its headquarters to a large apartment in the Palazzo Doria, thanks to the kindness and generosity of the Principessa Orietta Doria Pamphilj. This palazzo is in the very center of Rome within five minutes' walk of the Gregorian University and the Biblical Institute, to and from which hundreds of clerical students and others direct their steps each day. It was no unusual thing to meet students on their way to SIDIC for a short chat over a cup of coffee or for a rapid search for a text in the library.
Warmth and Informality
Father Rijk himself was a very warm and friendly person. It was always his desire that the SIDIC Centershould be as informal and as homely as. IN Assible, not merely an administrative office. He set great store on the atmosphere and manner of welcoming visitors so that they could feel at home at once. At the same time, he wanted SIDIC to be a place of serious studies in Judaism and Jewish-Christian relations (and was always in search of new books and documentary material) as well as a meeting place for Jews and Christians, for scholars and students, where they could meet and discuss problems over a cup of coffee. Many thorny topics were discussed in these congenial surroundings. Many plans were hatched for the development of SIDIC's work of Jewish-Christian Relations both at home and abroad.
Beginnings of the SIDIC Association
The SIDIC Association was founded in 1971 with a view to getting SIDIC better known, of increasing its membership, of finding new talent and increasing its funds. After years of waiting and negotiations SIDIC was eventually recognized by the Italian Government in 1977 as an "Ente Morale", a Corporation. This was a great achievement and a great step forward in the development of SIDIC although, of course, it brought with it serious responsibilities. Fr. Rijk's great desire was to get as many people as possible interested in and pre-occupied with the question of Jewish-Christian relations. This led him to set his sights far and wide. He sought to make as many contacts as possible, attending congresses and meetings in many different countries of the world.
To mention just some of the places he visited for the purpose of lecturing: England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Malta, Italy, Israel, Canada, the U.S.A., Australia and Indonesia. This, obviously, meant a great deal of travelling in a very short time. But all his business visits were minutely prepared in order to lose as little time as possible as there was always urgent work awaiting him in Rome. Whenever he went on these journeys he endeavoured to build up good and lasting contacts which would continue to keep him informed of trends and growing needs.
At home one of the very successful initiatives taken was the fortnightly psalm readings led by a Jew, Prof. Augusto Segre and a Christian, both giving their respective interpretations to the psalm chosen. This was followed by discussion with the participants. Then too, fortnightly public lectures were arranged, given sometimes by a Jew, sometimes by a Christian, either in Italian, French or English. These were excellent opportunities for both parties to enrich their knowledge of each other's views. For two years running courses were arranged to be given at SIDIC, one on the Talmud, one on the Sabbath. These courses were accepted for credits by the Gregorian University.
Innumerable were the courses Fr. Rijk gave. I have never known him to refuse a request for a lecture or a series of lectures in any part of the world if it were at all possible to accept. His very last lecture tour before becoming ill was to Australia where, during a whole month, he was touring and lecturing wherever he was invited.
By the warmth of his welcome and his keen sense of humour Fr. Rijk had the gift of making everyone feel at ease in his presence. Whether he was interviewing a very new and inexperienced student or discussing deep and intricate matters with scholars and professors, each one felt he was in the presence of some-one who cared for him and who was deeply interested in his question and ready to give all the help he could.
Developments
Each year saw new projects being developed. One of the more recent was a plan in conjunction with the Queriniana Publishing House at Brescia, Northern Italy, for several "in depth" visits to the Holy Land each year. The participants would be required to do a certain number of hours' study in each of the places visited, as well as speaking with local Jews, Arabs, etc., and attending lectures given by professors from the Universities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and others. These study visits were very much appreciated by the participants.
Many groups visited SIDIC and learned more about the work. Each year a group of leaders of the Anti-Defamation League of the U.S.A. were our honoured guests. From Holland came groups of students from the Leiden University, and groups of priests from the U.S.A. on a three months' refresher course would come to be prepared for their visit to Israel.
One knows that there were many more possibilities that Fr. Rijk would have liked to explore had he lived long enough to carry out his plans which were exceedingly prolific. It would be difficult indeed to find another person so deeply committed to sounding and pondering on the depths of Jewish-Christian relations. He was greatly assisted in this by his proficiency in so many languages. One of his great desires was that the SIDIC staff also should be able to master as many languages as possible.
I think that this short account gives a fairly good, though necessarily incomplete, idea of the immense work accomplished by Fr. Rijk in such a short time. Not only SIDIC, but the Church, the Jewish people and, I would even venture to say, the whole world has lost a very great personality in Fr. Cornelis Rijk.
We share with you your deep sorrow in your double loss — your personal loss and the loss for your Center. May our faith in the resurrection of the dead be for all of us a light to guide us through all the events of life which sadden us, even through death itself.
Th. M.A. Claessens, Advieskommissie Missionaire Aktiviteitein, 's-Gravenhage, Holland
I shall never forget how Father Rijk has worked with both mind and heart to bring about reciprocal understanding between Jews and Christians and how much he has encouraged dialogue.
I was also linked to him by bonds of deep friendship and I have lost one of my dearest friends.
Dr. Meir Mendes, Israeli Embassy, Rome
The Jewish-Christian Fellowship of France is deeply saddened by the death of Father Cornelis Rijk, one of thc• courageous pioneers of Jewish-Christian reconciliation. He undertook this work with his keen mind and warm heart. We shall miss him very much.
Mrs. Claire Huchet-Bishop, Paris
