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

• An individual or regular member must submit a formal, written request to the CCJR Board of Directors to begin the process of consideration to create a statement supported by CCJR members. Proposals must explicitly make reference to the mission and expertise of CCJR and its members.
  ● This request must be supported by at least one regular member of CCJR, i.e. a director of a center that is a voting member of CCJR.
  ● A meeting of the Board will be called to discuss the value and appropriateness of writing a statement on the proposed issue. If there is a unanimous Board vote to proceed, the directors of the regular
  member organizations will be contacted to get a general sense of whether there is support for the issuance of a statement.
  ● A member or members of the Board and/or of an appointed ad hoc committee will be asked to compose the statement.
  ● The Board has the responsibility to work with the writer(s) to produce a final version of the statement. Unanimous approval by the Board is necessary to move forward.
  ● The statement will then be sent to the directors of the regular member  organizations for approval and agreement to include their center names on the document. While unanimous approval is desirable, approval by a minimum of 75% of the regular members is necessary in order for the statement to be approved and disseminated.
  ● The statement will be disseminated directly to all of the center directors and to all of the members of CCJR through the listserv. It will be posted on the CCJR website. It may also be disseminated to other parties (e.g., media). 

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)