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Posted on 05/15/2005 10:33:10 AM PDT by Alouette
Pope Benedict XVI has told the Israeli ambassador to the Vatican he intends to visit the main synagogue in Cologne, Germany, in August, becoming the second pontiff in history to visit a Jewish place of worship.
Ambassador Oded Ben-Hur said the pope told him of his intention following an audience with diplomats assigned to the Vatican on Thursday.
Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, made a groundbreaking visit to Rome's synagogue in 1986. The new pope has said he intends to continue John Paul's work toward improving relations between Roman Catholics and Jews.
"We're very happy, and this is a gesture that goes in line with the latest declarations" from the pope, Ben-Hur told The Associated Press by telephone Friday.
He said the intended visit showed Benedict's "desire to enhance and widen the dialogue with the Jewish people." One of Benedict's first acts in office was to invite Rome's chief rabbi to his April 24 installation Mass. During his homily that day, the pope made specific mention of "a great shared spiritual heritage" with Jews.
On Sunday, he sent a letter of birthday greetings to the former chief rabbi of Rome who received John Paul during his 1986 visit, saying Catholics and Jews can continue dialogue and look with "confidence" toward the future.
The pope is planning to make the synagogue visit during a planned trip to Cologne for World Youth Day, Ben-Hur said. The August 16-21 event is expected to draw tens of thousands of young people to the city.
Ben-Hur said he didn't know at what stage plans were for the visit.
Jews widely admired John Paul for his unstinting efforts to promote Jewish-Catholic reconciliation, including his 1986 synagogue visit and his 2000 visit to Israel. On the 2000 trip, John Paul won many Israeli hearts by apologizing for Roman Catholic wrongdoing over the centuries.
The path toward improved Catholic-Jewish ties was set before John Paul was elected – in the 1965 declaration Nostra Aetate, or "In our Age," from the Second Vatican Council. The document rejected the notion that Jews were collectively responsible for the death of Christ. It promoted dialogue between the faiths and rejected anti-Semitism.
"All in all there is a series of declarations that brings us to believe that the pope will follow in the footsteps of the position that was set by the church in the last few years and ever since the Second Vatican Council, and especially during the papacy of Pope John Paul," Ben-Hur said Friday.
Benedict's effort to reach out to Jews carries an added dimension because of his membership in the Hitler Youth and later as a conscript in the German army during World War II. He said he was forced into both roles.
"Everything that the new pope has said and done since achieving the papacy demonstrates his intention to continue in the path set by his predecessor and forge even closer relations between Israel and the Vatican, between the Jewish people and the Catholic Church," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev said Friday, commenting on Ben-Hur's conversation with the pope.
Rome's current chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, was unable to attend Benedict's installation Mass as the ceremony fell on the first day of Passover, but Jewish officials said they were surprised and pleased by Benedict's gesture in inviting him.
Nope, but I think "vigilo" is missing something.
Rome's current chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, was unable to attend Benedict's installation Mass as the ceremony fell on the first day of Passover, but Jewish officials said they were surprised and pleased by Benedict's gesture in inviting him.
Gee, and I didn't even know there were still Marcionists around.
Please explain "rightly understood". Otherwise, this is truly an ignorant response. Were it not for the Jews, there would be no Jesus and hence, no christianity. Jesus was a Jew.
I think it's wonderful that Benedict XVI is paying his respects to our Jewish brothers and sisters by visiting a synagogue. :-)
Geeeeez, why not just endorse a new Inquisition.
As a Christian, I PROFOUNDLY disagree.
I'm with you, Salem.
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Please don't make the Catholics look bad in front of our Jewish friends.
Mary was a Jew and she is our mother.
The Jews are the chosen people and that Anti-semetic stuff went out with Vatican II.
Although I am a traditional, conservative Catholic who would love nothing more than to see more Latin and Greek in our Holy Masses, I feel that the appreciation of the Jewish people is the best thing to come out of Vatican II and continued with JPII.
Not even underground churches?
I'm profoundly embarassed by some of my "Christian" brethren. Please forgive their retarded comments. God's covenant with Israel is eternal and those who are faithful are assured of a special place in His kingdom.
St. Thomas Aquinas (II-II:11:1) defines heresy: "a species of infidelity in men who, having professed the faith of Christ, corrupt its dogmas". "The right Christian faith consists in giving one's voluntary assent to Christ in all that truly belongs to His teaching. There are,therefore,two ways of deviating from Christianity: the one by refusing to believe in Christ Himself, which is the way of infidelity, common to Pagans and Jews; the other by restricting belief to certain points of Christ's doctrine selected and fashioned at pleasure, which is the way of heretics."
So, according to the Angelic Doctor, I would have been more inclusively accurate to say "infidels, heretics, and pagans", just to cover all the bases. It certainly wasn't my intent to blur the distinction between the three. Sorry if I caused you any confusion. BTW, the "voluntary assent" thing would pretty much preclude another Inquisition, but nice try.
Gosh, I wonder why no one has ever suggested that before?
Thanks, but no thanks.
Outside of that, what fellowship does light have with the darkness?
A good suggestion. So when will you be leaving?
I'm not sure what has you so upset. The Traditional Catholic teaching on salvation is based in part on the words of Christ, as related in the Gospel of John: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me." I suppose you would think Him to be a "racist" and call him an obscene name as well.
Why, in the context of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Synagogue in Cologne, should a heretic, infidel, pagan like me accept your view as representative of anything, much less the Catholic Church?
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