The pope sure doesn't look too happy in this picture - unlike when he meets those who wish us harm!
http://www.zenit.org/article-28055?l=english
Program for Pope's Sunday Trip to Synagogue
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 14, 2010 (Zenit.org).- During his visit to the Jewish community of Rome this Sunday, Benedict XVI will honor the more than 1,000 victims of the Nazi deportation of 1943.
The program of the Pope's trip was reported today by Vatican Radio.
His first stop will be at the plaque that recalls the Oct. 16, 1943, raid ordered by SS commander Herbert Kappler of occupied Rome, at the request of Berlin. More than 1,000 Roman Jews were arrested and deported to Auschwitz. Only 16 people, among them one woman, were able to return.
The Holy Father will place flowers before the plaque honoring those victims.
The next stop on the Pontiff's program is to honor another victim of violence: a child who was killed in the 1982 terrorist attack on the synagogue. Stefano Tache, age 2, lost his life in that attack; 37 others were wounded.
Benedict XVI will be received at the foot of the stairs of the synagogue by Grand Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni.
As they enter the synagogue, the choir will sing Psalm 126 and the Holy Father will greet civil authorities.
After discourses from the presidents of Rome's and Italy's Jewish communities and the grand rabbi, the choir will intone Psalm 133. Then the Pope will give his address.
The program of the Pope's trip was reported today by Vatican Radio.
His first stop will be at the plaque that recalls the Oct. 16, 1943, raid ordered by SS commander Herbert Kappler of occupied Rome, at the request of Berlin. More than 1,000 Roman Jews were arrested and deported to Auschwitz. Only 16 people, among them one woman, were able to return.
The Holy Father will place flowers before the plaque honoring those victims.
The next stop on the Pontiff's program is to honor another victim of violence: a child who was killed in the 1982 terrorist attack on the synagogue. Stefano Tache, age 2, lost his life in that attack; 37 others were wounded.
Benedict XVI will be received at the foot of the stairs of the synagogue by Grand Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni.
As they enter the synagogue, the choir will sing Psalm 126 and the Holy Father will greet civil authorities.
After discourses from the presidents of Rome's and Italy's Jewish communities and the grand rabbi, the choir will intone Psalm 133. Then the Pope will give his address.
Before he returns to the Vatican, the Pontiff will meet privately with the grand rabbi and will also visit the Jewish Museum.
WHAT THE CATHOLICS CHOSE TO SEE, HEAR, AND REPORT...
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/benedict_xvi_warmly_received_at_rome_synagogue/
Benedict XVI Warmly Received at Rome Synagogue
by Edward Pentin Sunday, January 17, 2010 12:10 PM
The Holy Father was very warmly received at Rome's synagogue this afternoon, and those gathered gave him a standing ovation at the end of his address.
He made no explicit reference to the Pius XII controversy, except to underline the efforts the Apostolic See made to save Rome Jews during Nazi persecution. Historians say the "hidden and discreet" assistance given by the Vatican can be traced to the direct intructions of Pius XII......
... VERSUS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED:
Blunt Talk Confronts Pope in Historic Visit to Synagogue
Shevat 2, 5770, 17 January 10 07:34
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu(Israelnationalnews.com) The president of the Jewish community in Rome greeted visiting Pope Benedict XVI with sharp words Sunday, criticizing Pope Pius XII for inaction during the Holocaust, saying that his "silence still hurts as a failed act." The remarks by the Jewish leader, Riccardo Pacifici, were made at the start of the pontiff's historic visit to the city's main synagogue.
Pacifici pointedly added praise for Italian Catholics who sheltered Jews from the Nazi death machine.
Pope Benedict told listeners in the synagogue that the Vatican "provided assistance, often in a hidden and discreet way," but he did not mention Pope Pius by name. The German-born Pope's visit to the synagogue has sharply divided the 15,000-member Jewish community in Rome because of his moves to make Pope Pius a saint.
The president of Italy's assembly of rabbis, Giuseppe Laras, boycotted the visit and charged that Pope Benedict has "weakened" ties between Catholics and Jews. The Israeli ambassador to the Vatican attended but noted, "Catholic anti-Judaism still exists."
Bnei Akiva's local representatives said they decided to participate after initial hesitation and followed the advice of Rome's Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, who said that the visit was a sign that Pope Benedict wanted to "continue the dialogue." He advised Bnei Akiva that the pope should be "respected as a king."
Applause greeted the pope as he entered the synagogue in the Old Jewish Ghetto where a 16th century pope ordered the Jews be confined. It is the first time a pope has visited the synagogue since Pope John Paul II visited it in 1986.
Pope Benedict, who will speak later in the day, said earlier on Sunday that his visit will be a "further step on the path of harmony and friendship" between Catholics and Jews.
Guard dogs and hundreds of policemen lined the approaches to the synagogue to prevent any disturbances.
Pacifici pointedly added praise for Italian Catholics who sheltered Jews from the Nazi death machine.
Pope Benedict told listeners in the synagogue that the Vatican "provided assistance, often in a hidden and discreet way," but he did not mention Pope Pius by name. The German-born Pope's visit to the synagogue has sharply divided the 15,000-member Jewish community in Rome because of his moves to make Pope Pius a saint.
The president of Italy's assembly of rabbis, Giuseppe Laras, boycotted the visit and charged that Pope Benedict has "weakened" ties between Catholics and Jews. The Israeli ambassador to the Vatican attended but noted, "Catholic anti-Judaism still exists."
Bnei Akiva's local representatives said they decided to participate after initial hesitation and followed the advice of Rome's Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, who said that the visit was a sign that Pope Benedict wanted to "continue the dialogue." He advised Bnei Akiva that the pope should be "respected as a king."
Applause greeted the pope as he entered the synagogue in the Old Jewish Ghetto where a 16th century pope ordered the Jews be confined. It is the first time a pope has visited the synagogue since Pope John Paul II visited it in 1986.
Pope Benedict, who will speak later in the day, said earlier on Sunday that his visit will be a "further step on the path of harmony and friendship" between Catholics and Jews.
Guard dogs and hundreds of policemen lined the approaches to the synagogue to prevent any disturbances.
Here is Benedict XVI's complete speech for public consumption. We will need to dig further , though, in order to understand what his visit was all about.
"What marvels the Lord worked for them!
What marvels the Lord worked for us:
Indeed we were glad" (Ps 126)
"How good and how pleasant it is
when brothers live in unity" (Ps 133)
Dear Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Rome,
President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities,
President of the Jewish Community of Rome,
Rabbis,
Distinguished Authorities,
Friends, Brothers and Sisters,
1. At the beginning of this encounter in the Great Synagogue of the Jews of Rome, the Psalms which we have heard suggest to us the right spiritual attitude in which to experience this particular and happy moment of grace: the praise of the Lord, who has worked marvels for us and has gathered us in his Hèsed, his merciful love, and thanksgiving to him for granting us this opportunity to come together to strengthen the bonds which unite us and to continue to travel together along the path of reconciliation and fraternity. I wish to express first of all my sincere gratitude to you, Chief Rabbi, Doctor Riccardo Di Segni, for your invitation and for the thoughtful words which you have addressed to me. I wish to thank also the President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, Mr Renzo Gattegna, and the President of the Jewish Community of Rome, Mr Riccardo Pacifici, for their courteous greetings. My thoughts go to the Authorities and to all present, and they extend in a special way, to the entire Jewish Community of Rome and to all who have worked to bring about this moment of encounter and friendship which we now share.
When he came among you for the first time, as a Christian and as Pope, my Venerable Predecessor John Paul II, almost 24 years ago, wanted to make a decisive contribution to strengthening the good relations between our two communities, so as to overcome every misconception and prejudice. My visit forms a part of the journey already begun, to confirm and deepen it. With sentiments of heartfelt appreciation, I come among you to express to you the esteem and the affection which the Bishop and the Church of Rome, as well as the entire Catholic Church, have towards this Community and all Jewish communities around the world.
2. The teaching of the Second Vatican Council has represented for Catholics a clear landmark to which constant reference is made in our attitude and our relations with the Jewish people, marking a new and significant stage. The Council gave a strong impetus to our irrevocable commitment to pursue the path of dialogue, fraternity and friendship, a journey which has been deepened and developed in the last forty years, through important steps and significant gestures. Among them, I should mention once again the historic visit by my Venerable Predecessor to this Synagogue on 13 April 1986, the numerous meetings he had with Jewish representatives, both here in Rome and during his Apostolic Visits throughout the world, the Jubilee Pilgrimage which he made to the Holy Land in the year 2000, the various documents of the Holy See which, following the Second Vatican Council's Declaration Nostra Aetate, have made helpful contributions to the increasingly close relations between Catholics and Jews. I too, in the course of my Pontificate, have wanted to demonstrate my closeness to and my affection for the people of the Covenant. I cherish in my heart each moment of the pilgrimage that I had the joy of making to the Holy Land in May of last year, along with the memories of numerous meetings with Jewish Communities and Organizations, in particular my visits to the Synagogues of Cologne and New York.
Furthermore, the Church has not failed to deplore the failings of her sons and daughters, begging forgiveness for all that could in any way have contributed to the scourge of anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism (cf. Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah, 16 March 1998). May these wounds be healed forever! The heartfelt prayer which Pope John Paul II offered at the Western Wall on 26 March 2000 comes back to my mind, and it calls forth a profound echo in our hearts: "God of our Fathers, you chose Abraham and his descendants to bring your Name to the nations: we are deeply saddened by the behaviour of those who in the course of history have caused these children of yours to suffer, and asking your forgiveness we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the people of the Covenant."
3. The passage of time allows us to recognize in the Twentieth Century a truly tragic period for humanity: ferocious wars that sowed destruction, death and suffering like never before; frightening ideologies, rooted in the idolatry of man, of race, and of the State, which led to brother killing brother. The singular and deeply disturbing drama of the Shoah represents, as it were, the most extreme point on the path of hatred that begins when man forgets his Creator and places himself at the centre of the universe. As I noted during my visit of 28 May 2006 to the Auschwitz Concentration camp, which is still profoundly impressed upon my memory, "the rulers of the Third Reich wanted to crush the entire Jewish people", and, essentially, "by wiping out this people, they intended to kill the God who called Abraham, who spoke on Sinai and laid down principles to serve as a guide for mankind, principles that remain eternally valid" (Discourse at Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp: The Teachings of Pope Benedict XVI, II, 1 [2006], p.727).
Here in this place, how could we not remember the Roman Jews who were snatched from their homes, before these very walls, and who with tremendous brutality were killed at Auschwitz? How could one ever forget their faces, their names, their tears, the desperation faced by these men, women and children? The extermination of the people of the Covenant of Moses, at first announced, then systematically programmed and put into practice in Europe under the Nazi regime, on that day tragically reached as far as Rome. Unfortunately, many remained indifferent, but many, including Italian Catholics, sustained by their faith and by Christian teaching, reacted with courage, often at risk of their lives, opening their arms to assist the Jewish fugitives who were being hunted down, and earning perennial gratitude. The Apostolic See itself provided assistance, often in a hidden and discreet way.
The memory of these events compels us to strengthen the bonds that unite us so that our mutual understanding, respect and acceptance may always increase.
4. Our closeness and spiritual fraternity find in the Holy Bible - in Hebrew Sifre Qodesh or "Book of Holiness" – their most stable and lasting foundation, which constantly reminds us of our common roots, our history and the rich spiritual patrimony that we share. It is in pondering her own mystery that the Church, the People of God of the New Covenant, discovers her own profound bond with the Jews, who were chosen by the Lord before all others to receive his word (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 839). "The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God's revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews 'belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs and of their race, according to the flesh is the Christ' (Rom 9:4-5), 'for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable!' (Rom 11:29)" (Ibid).
5. Many lessons may be learnt from our common heritage derived from the Law and the Prophets. I would like to recall some of them: first of all, the solidarity which binds the Church to the Jewish people "at the level of their spiritual identity", which offers Christians the opportunity to promote "a renewed respect for the Jewish interpretation of the Old Testament" (cf. Pontifical Biblical Commission, The Jewish people and their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible, 2001, pp.12 and 55); the centrality of the Decalogue as a common ethical message of permanent value for Israel, for the Church, for non-believers and for all of humanity; the task of preparing or ushering in the Kingdom of the Most High in the "care for creation" entrusted by God to man for him to cultivate and to care for responsibly (cf. Gen 2:15).
6. In particular, the Decalogue – the "Ten Words" or Ten Commandments (cf. Ex 20:1-17; Dt 5:1-21) – which comes from the Torah of Moses, is a shining light for ethical principles, hope and dialogue, a guiding star of faith and morals for the people of God, and it also enlightens and guides the path of Christians. It constitutes a beacon and a norm of life in justice and love, a "great ethical code" for all humanity. The "Ten Commandments" shed light on good and evil, on truth and falsehood, on justice and injustice, and they match the criteria of every human person's right conscience. Jesus himself recalled this frequently, underlining the need for active commitment in living the way of the Commandments: "If you wish to enter into life, observe the Commandments" (Mt 19:17). From this perspective, there are several possible areas of cooperation and witness. I would like to recall three that are especially important for our time.
The "Ten Commandments" require that we recognize the one Lord, against the temptation to construct other idols, to make golden calves. In our world there are many who do not know God or who consider him superfluous, without relevance for their lives; hence, other new gods have been fabricated to whom man bows down. Reawakening in our society openness to the transcendent dimension, witnessing to the one God, is a precious service which Jews and Christians can offer together.
The "Ten Commandments" call us to respect life and to protect it against every injustice and abuse, recognizing the worth of each human person, created in the image and likeness of God. How often, in every part of the world, near and far, the dignity, the freedom and the rights of human beings are trampled upon! Bearing witness together to the supreme value of life against all selfishness, is an important contribution to a new world where justice and peace reign, a world marked by that "shalom" which the lawgivers, the prophets and the sages of Israel longed to see.
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.
7. As Moses taught in the Shema (cf. Dt 6:5; Lev 19:34) – and as Jesus reaffirms in the Gospel (cf. Mk 12:19-31), all of the Commandments are summed up in the love of God and loving-kindness towards one's neighbour. This Rule urges Jews and Christians to exercise, in our time, a special generosity towards the poor, towards women and children, strangers, the sick, the weak and the needy. In the Jewish tradition there is a wonderful saying of the Fathers of Israel: "Simon the Just often said: The world is founded on three things: the Torah, worship, and acts of mercy" (Avoth 1:2). In exercising justice and mercy, Jews and Christians are called to announce and to bear witness to the coming Kingdom of the Most High, for which we pray and work in hope each day.
8. On this path we can walk together, aware of the differences that exist between us, but also aware of the fact that when we succeed in uniting our hearts and our hands in response to the Lord's call, his light comes closer and shines on all the peoples of the world. The progress made in the last forty years by the International Committee for Catholic-Jewish Relations and, in more recent years, by the Mixed Commission of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and of the Holy See, are a sign of our common will to continue an open and sincere dialogue. Tomorrow here in Rome, in fact, the Mixed Commission will hold its ninth meeting, on "Catholic and Jewish Teaching on Creation and the Environment"; we wish them a profitable dialogue on such a timely and important theme.
9. Christians and Jews share to a great extent a common spiritual patrimony, they pray to the same Lord, they have the same roots, and yet they often remain unknown to each other. It is our duty, in response to God's call, to strive to keep open the space for dialogue, for reciprocal respect, for growth in friendship, for a common witness in the face of the challenges of our time, which invite us to cooperate for the good of humanity in this world created by God, the Omnipotent and Merciful.
10. Finally, I offer a particular reflection on this, our city of Rome, where, for nearly two millennia, as Pope John Paul II said, the Catholic Community with its Bishop and the Jewish Community with its Chief Rabbi have lived side by side. May this proximity be animated by a growing fraternal love, expressed also in closer cooperation, so that we may offer a valid contribution to solving the problems and difficulties that we still face.
I beg from the Lord the precious gift of peace in the world, above all in the Holy Land. During my pilgrimage there last May, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, I prayed to Him who can do all things, asking: "Send your peace upon this Holy Land, upon the Middle East, upon the entire human family; stir the hearts of those who call upon your name, to walk humbly in the path of justice and compassion" (Prayer at the Western Wall of Jerusalem, 12 May 2009).
I give thanks and praise to God once again for this encounter, asking him to strengthen our fraternal bonds and to deepen our mutual understanding.
"O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him, all you peoples.
Strong is his love for us,
He is faithful forever.
Alleluia" (Ps 117)
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/benedict_xvi_warmly_received_at_rome_synagogue/
Comments:
E.... writes:
Rabbi Shear Yashuv is the representative of the State of Israel to the Vatican.
He is a very noble man and I think he understands that this whole relationship is very complicated.
DS replies:
It could be. Meanwhile the question remains, WHY? If this is strictly an affair between Rome and the pope, how come Israel is represented? That is my question. What I am trying to point out is that this is part and parcel of the NEGOTIATIONS, part and parcel of their tactics re: the BILATERAL, FUNDAMENTAL AGREEMENT OF 1993 . This is how the Church has always done it; gone via the Diaspora, when they don't get what they want here; entreaties, threats, who knows. It is a TRIANGLE. Give us Har Zion, or else, woe to Jews HERE and THERE. Not by accident are there THREE people on the Bimah.
Jack said:
Daisy, it sounds paranoid and hysterical but I think you are at least approximately right.
DS replies:
Just as a reminder, words coming straight out of the Vatican, a few days ago:
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, said in a message to the Chief Rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, that the Pope's visit would begin "a new phase along THE IRREVOCABLE path of AGREEMENT and friendship".
Interpret it any way you want; knowing them, I am sure that EVERY SINGLE WORD coming out of their mouth was CAREFULLY WEIGHED. I am convinced that the words "AGREEMENT" and "IRREVOCABLE" didn't just happen to find their way into that message.
UPDATE:
WHAT DID I TELL YOU? What was this visit all about???
OK, so David Rosen was the mouthpiece; that makes no difference whatsoever. The bottom line is, THIS is WHY the pope used sugary sweet language with the Jews at the synagogue:
" BETTER TO EAT YOU WITH, MY CHILD!"
01/17/2010 16:04
ISRAEL - VATICAN
Rabbi Rosen: Israel’s treatment of the Vatican outrageous
A few hours ahead of the meeting between Benedict XVI and the Jewish community of Rome, David Rosen accuses the state of Israel of not honouring the agreements made with the Vatican in '94, at the launch of diplomatic ties. He also accuses "xenophobes" of spreading false rumours against the Vatican.
Rome (AsiaNews) – Israel’s attitude to the Vatican is "outrageous". This is Rabbi David Rosen’s view of relations between Israel and the Holy See. In an article written by Cnaani Liphshiz, that appeared in today’s on-line English edition of Haaretz, the most influential Israeli newspaper, Rosen says that "any [other] country would have threatened to withdraw its ambassador long ago over Israel's failure to honor agreements "(See: Rabbi calls Israel's treatment of Vatican 'outrageous' - Haaretz - Israel News). UK born Rosen, is currently international director for interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee.
Today, Rosen and other members of the Rabbinate of Israel will meet with Benedict XVI during a visit by a pontiff to the Jewish community of Rome. The Pope's visit was preceded by controversy centred on the Benedict XVI’s decision to proclaim the "heroic virtues" of Pius XII, opening the door to his possible beatification. Some Italian personalities and others from the Jewish international world are opposed because they accuse Pius XII of "silence" on the Holocaust. Many Jewish groups praised Pius XII for his work, which saved hundreds of thousands of Jews from extermination (See AsiaNews.it, 21/12/2009 Pius XII, the Pope who opposed Hitler).
In relations between the Vatican and the Jewish world, Rosen seems to give more importance to Tel Aviv’s delay in implementing of the Fundamental Agreement between Holy See and Israel.
David Rosen is one of the promoters of diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Israel signed in 1994, when "Israel pledged to recognize the legal status of Catholic institutions in Israel and exempt Vatican property in Israel from taxes".
"The process was to take two years - says Rosen - Fifteen years later, the state has not ratified an agreement recognizing the church's legal status".
Last month, during the plenary meeting held at the Vatican between representatives of Israel and the Holy See, Daniel Ayalon, Israel's deputy foreign minister, spoke of a "broken" dialogue that was in "crisis". Several media in Israel attributed this situation to rumors that the Vatican requested the annexation of Mount Zion from Israel. Rosen believes these claims to be "falsehoods" propagated by "xenophobes
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