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Interview: Italy's Chief Rabbi on the Pope's Resignation
Israel National News ^ | March 04, 2013 | Staff, Il Giorno

Posted on 03/04/2013 4:42:05 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o

From his office located on the second floor of Rome’s Great Synagogue, Professor Riccardo Di Segni, Rome’s Chief Rabbi, learned and stern, is comfortable discussing the resignation of his neighbour in the city where Jews have lived for 2,000 years.

Rabbi, the Pope’s gesture has been both praised and blamed. Who is right?

“If this Pope felt that he lacked the huge amount of energy required to face his enormous work, how could he possibly be blamed? I have not, however, ever noticed in him any sign of fatigue or disease”.

[snip]

[You have] a very special relationship? What is your stance?

“The best relationship is not the one between believers but among good-hearted people.

Ratzinger’s dialogue with Jews did not look so brilliant when he stated that dialogue was a function of evangelization …

"Mutual respect is actually what is needed … Benedict XVI presented it to us, even more".

[snip]

When the Pope quoted France’s Chief Rabbi, Gilles Bernheim, who wrote against homosexual marriages and parenthood, I thought about the quest for a common front against secularization.

“Indeed, that episode was very interesting, a Pope that quotes an elected rabbi of France to reinforce his own thoughts.. But on those subjects, we don’t agree on everything though. [snip]

Life is sacred nonetheless.

“Yes, it is from us that Christianity inherited the idea that human life is sacred because he was created in G-d’s own image."

Secularization, a slacking of faith ... Was Ratzinger perhaps under siege?

“This Pope has never given in on anything, I don’t believe surrender is possible. In any case, it was more internal inconsistency and compromises that must have concerned him”.

[snip]

(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...


TOPICS: Current Events; Judaism; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS:
And more:

The pope expressed more understanding for Palestinians rather than Israel ...

“His travel to Israel was no pleasure cruise. As soon as he reached the Papal throne, that German who was a young man from Nazi times, saw headlines on Israeli newspapers such as “The white smoke turned black”. For pope John Paul Israel, was a place where he met his fellows Polish friends, some from school days, spoke Polish with everybody, was at home.

Imagine Ratzinger with his German accent... Anyhow, he seemed to me mostly as a character deeply absorbed by his Church, his doctrine’s and exegetic topics, and he left us be in theological respect."

What is your wish for next conclave?

“The key issues to us are: survival and world impact. We rejoice that at a time when radical Islam is thriving, the Church is amicable. Luckily Providence created an awkward alternation through the centuries … World impact means creativity, realizing that our push to modernity is a positive drive. Hence, [we welcome] a non-hostile Pope that favours an in-progress alliance with us”.

You are a physician; do you also fear unrestrained science, as Benedict seemed to have been concerned?

“My relation to science is passionate; its application however has to bind to moral rules. Woe betide you if you invent a bigoted division between religious and alleged lay wizards. In this context, the good sense and good moral principles both of religious and lay people have to apply.

A tremendous media aggression to the Church has been reported ...

“Corruption in the Church is one of the most classical and tired topics in the world. We should not overestimate its importance, not even in these dramatic days”.

Translated from Il Giorno and sent to Arutz Sheva by MP Nirenstein.


Also convered by First Things(Link), with interesting comments.

I thought this encouraging, sensible, honorable.

Class, discuss.

1 posted on 03/04/2013 4:42:14 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Wow! The answer to a question no one asked!


2 posted on 03/04/2013 5:25:18 PM PST by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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