Posted on 03/17/2009 9:26:17 AM PDT by TaraP
Edited on 03/17/2009 9:47:14 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
A rabbi in Jerusalem has one request for Pope Benedict XVI when he visits the Western Wall in May: Leave the cross at home.
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, who will meet the pontiff when he visits the Holy Land on May 12, said that a cross is not proper when visiting the Jewish religious site, The Jerusalem Post reported.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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As I noted on another thread, an observant Jew wouldn't enter with a tallit or tefillin because they're worn when praying, and he wouldn't go to a Church to pray. Many observant Jews wear a kippah or other head covering all the time, that wouldn't be allowed when visiting, for example, St. Peters.
Since this is one Rabbi's opinion, and people visit with cross' all the time, it's really not much of an issue.
No, it's his opinion, but as you note contrary to accepted practice. Cross' aren't banned, they won't be when the Pope visits.
He's the Rabbi of the Western Wall, and is in charge of conduct and appearances. Every year or two he makes the news. A couple years ago it was asking a group of European clergy not to display their crosses openly, once not allowing American female Rabbis to wear tallit. He's the one who got upset, as he should, when someone removed Obama's prayer and released it to the press. A local official.
He is the Head Rabbi responsible for the Kotel ( the Western Wall )
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach Adonai
which is a synagogue and the most Holy site for Observant Orthodox Jews.
Pope Joihn Paul II prayed at the Kotel dressed as he wanted, so to Pope Benedict will. The Cross part is mentioned by the cultral liberals to screw Orthodox Jews. There is no context here. The Western Wall is the remnant of the holiest site in Judaism. In some respects, it symbolically is the Temple. It is one thing for a non-Jew to pray there, it is another to do so in explicitly non-Jewish terms. No Jew would ask to pray in full religious garb at St. Peter’s.
Not allowing Jews to pray for hours around the Pope’s visit makes this a real insult, something the Christian poster’s here just don’t see.
The story does not relate why the Irish Prelates were not allowed to pray. Were they trying to do so as part of a political stunt? We don’t know. And the atheist writer doesn;t care to tell us because facts are not the purpose, running a hit piece on Jewish control of Jewish sites is.
Still this is a contrived controversy as the pope will pray as he wishes.
What kind of idiocy is this?
Is there a precedent for this? As for example, has the Pope ever visited a mosque, and removed his cross out of respect for the mosque?
Isaiah 43:11
Zechariah 14:9
Malachi 3:6
Isaiah 42:6
Isaiah 49:6
Don’t know. JPII wore his cross, I don’t see why this should be an issue. Maybe the Rabbi hadn’t seen his name in the paper for awhile, maybe the JP simply heard a quote and saw an article
Our Nation was established by people who did not want to see crosses. They did not allow crosses in their churches in England before coming here to get away from the edicts of Europe.
Exactly....Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion....
I hope Israel will come to know Christ and his true Church..
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