Yesterday's visit by the Holy Father to the Great Synagogue of Rome was a great success. The Vatican website has an English translation of his address. The Holy Father spoke sensitively about the Shoah "that tragically reached as far as Rome" and about the Bible. He highlighted the ten commandments as "a common ethical message of permanent value for Israel, for the Church, for non-believers and for all of humanity." Pope Benedict made particular reference to the family, highlighting an area of concern both to the Church and to Jews:
The "Ten Commandments" call us to preserve and to promote the sanctity of the family, in which the personal and reciprocal, faithful and definitive "Yes" of man and woman makes room for the future, for the authentic humanity of each, and makes them open, at the same time, to the gift of new life. To witness that the family continues to be the essential cell of society and the basic environment in which human virtues are learned and practised is a precious service offered in the construction of a world with a more human face.Israel's ambassador to the Holy See, Mordechay Lewy, told ZENIT:
"The press was blowing up an atmosphere of crisis, before the visit, and the media were very much disappointed that there was no crisis afterwards,"Politics Daily has a good piece by Elizabeth Lev: At Pope's Trip to Rome Synagogue, Press Misses the Story. As she says,
Despite the trite headlines about the "Pope's Controversial Visit," there was no real controversy; the chief rabbi had extended the invitation to Benedict in 2006 and the Roman Jewish community pulled out all the stops for this event.Later in the article, she points out:
The real spirit of the Benedict's visit and his encounter with the chief Rabbi was not one of recrimination but of furthering dialogue, though most major news outlets were too busy waving the red flag of WWII and Pope Pius XII to see that.For a couple of illustrative examples, see the reports from theBBC report and The Times.
Looking for pictures, I found this one and couldn't resist wondering what Pope Benedict might have been saying...
Moishe rings his Mum and says "Mum how are you?"
She answers "I'm just fine."
So Moishe says "Sorry, I must have dialled the wrong number."
(There are some good photos at daylife.)
10 comments:
Have you heard this one, rabbi? How many Jewish mothers does it take to change a lightbulb? None. "You go out and enjoy yourself, Solly, I'll sit here in the dark".
Dear Father,
I'm puzzled that I couldn't find the translation of the Holy Father's address at vatican.va This morning after reading your post I checked again. Still not there. I did find a translation at Vatican Radio via Vatican YouTube channel. Can you clarify where you found the translation, or is there something wrong with my PC?! Yesterday, I was able to do my own Oasis post on the visit because I'd watched the event live on kto and was able mentally to translate the French translation of all the speeches. I wanted the written trans. in order to be accurate
I did however note in my post the Grand Rabbi's renewed request for the Vatican archives to be opened. I see from Zenit today that this has been followed up by the Israeli ambassador to the Holy See. I really do think that they want this in order to ease tensions in Catholic-Jewish relations.
It was good to note, again on Zenit, that the media's attempt to create an atmosphere of crisis surrounding the Synagogue meeting was completely thwarted. Watching the event as it unfolded I was struck by the palpable warmth of welcome exteded to Pope Benedict, as demonstrated by the lovely photos you've posted.
Thanks for your post and if you can shed light on the missing speeches at vatican.va, I'd be most grateful.
Jane - you have to scroll down past the Italian text or click on "Traduzione non ufficiale in llingua Inglese"
" Shalom (שָׁלוֹם)"
Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us!
Thanks Father,
No problem with finding the English 'unofficial translation' text at Vatican Radio, printed it a couple of hours ago. I trust that's the site you mean.
Thanks again.
My granny's one-woman campaign of ostentatious philo-semitism (to counteract all the wicked Polish antisemitism)appears to extend, to simultaneous amusement and exasperation of the family, to modelling her character on the Jewish mother of so many jokes ...
I came across this website recently.
pave the way foundation
A Jewish man very much involved with Pave the Way was interviewed on EWTN. He gave a most impressive account of his research on the true extent of the interventions of Ven. Pope Pius Xll on behalf of the persecuted Jews.
I think this film would also be of interest to you. It was on EWTN a few months ago. IT IS VERY well produced
HAND OF PEACE: POPE PIUS XII AND THE HOLOCAUST
A Hand of Peace: Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust explores the debate over the wartime Pope and his alleged silence during the Nazi Holocaust. Featuring interviews with leading historical scholars, leaders in the Jewish community and those who personally knew Pius XII, the film details the efforts to assist Jews and other victims of Nazi atrocities. This persuasive and engaging documentary looks at the difficult choices Pius XII faced during the Second World War, and provides convincing proof that his bold, yet discreet, prophetic actions saved tens of thousands of Jewish lives.
SALT & LIGHT film on Ven.Pius Xll
How can a visit by the Holy Father to a place of worship of a false religion be "successful"? Does the Church still hold that it alone is the ark of salvation? What message does this visit send out, especially with such words as "our irrevocable commitment to pursue the path of dialogue, fraternity and friendship"? Where does conversion fit into this?
It appears that this kind of papal action, although somewhat more restrained than that of his predecessor, shows up real differences of opinion between traditionalists and conservatives.
Pius XII said to a group of Jews after the war “I am only the Vicar of Christ, but you are his kith and kin” so I think that fraternity and friendship are covered before Vatican II.
As for dialogue, the best exposition of this in relation to the Church's continuing claim to be the one ark of salvation is to be found in Dominus Iesus.
Dear Father Finigan
I sent an e-mail to the 'Pave the Way Foundation'.
I hope it meets with your approval i.e.....
Dear Pave the Way Foundation
My own Philosemite's meditations on the 'Star of David' led to the following piece of work:
SONGS & DREAMS FOR SAD SISTER DEPTFORD A Deo et Rege : PART 3
SOLOMON'S LOCK
Seek the key and open the door.
Hidden treasures are in store.
Give me the key to Solomon's lock.
And set thy children free.
Fountains of wisdom flow inside.
Rivers of Paradise unite.
Give me the key to Solomon's lock.
And free the hearts that bleed.
I am blind I cannot see.
The life thou has prepared for me.
Give me the key to Solomon's lock.
That I may see my Lord*.
Chants
Lion of Judah come back to us.
Lion of Judah come back to us.
Lion of Judah come back to us.
Presence of my God.
Give me the key to Solomon's lock.
Give me the key to Solomon's lock.
Give me the key to Solomon's lock.
And set thy children free.
The above poem/song was performed by the poor children of South East London at the Albany Theatre in Deptford as part of a Box Clever Urban Voices production for the National Theatre.
*My personal VISION OF BRITAIN "Jam lucis orto sidere*
At the next General Election former Met Police Inspector Michael Barnbrook, the malevolent neo-Nazi BNP Police Spokesman, will be standing as a candidate for MP in Our Lady of the Rosary's Parish, Blackfen, which is in the late Sir Edward Heath's Old Bexley & Sidcup constituency. Nick Griffin MEP, the BNP's leader will be standing as a candidate for MP in the Barking & Dagenham constituency here in London at the next General Election.
Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us in BNP leader Nick Griffin MEP's EU/GLA/LDA/ODA NEO-NAZI DEVELOPMENT TIMES Amen
"WISHGOLD 2010-2012 & BEYOND"
Yours sincerely
Roy Hobson aka Our Lady's Vesper ON-LINE +
More From: www.spreadtheword.org.uk 's cityofsharedstories YouTube - Roy Hobson's anti-Nazi performance in Barking & Dagenham 2007 (From Dark to Light Too)
8 Badlow Close,
Erith,
Kent DA8 3SA
Mobile No:07732 638 379
ROY HOBSON FCES1990, FRICS1984,Grad Dipl QS
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