Rabbi says his friend, the pope, will face challenges in Holy Land
Rome, 18 January 2014: A rabbi who has known Pope Francis for almost 20 years and
counts him as a close personal friend said the pope's May trip to the Holy Land will
be a challenging balancing act because of the high expectations of Israelis and Palestinians
and of Christians, Jews and Muslims.
"There are many themes, many conflicts
that he will have to face and there are the expectations of many people," said Rabbi
Abraham Skorka, rector of Buenos Aires' Latin American Rabbinical Seminary and co-author
with the pope of the book, "On Heaven and Earth."
The rabbi was in Rome in
mid-January along with a group of Jewish leaders from Argentina. They had a kosher
lunch, catered by a Rome restaurant, with Pope Francis on January 16 at the Domus
Sanctae Marthae, where the pope lives. Rabbi Skorka went back for a private lunch
with the pope on January 17.
The rabbi gave a speech on January 16 at the Jesuit-run
Pontifical Gregorian University about Catholic-Jewish relations in Argentina and met
with the press afterward.
He told reporters that the pope's trip to Jordan,
Israel and Palestine "is a very sensitive theme" and that every detail must be handled
very carefully because of the "many themes, many conflicts and the expectations of
many people -- some of which are very radical." "This is a great challenge for my
friend," he said.
After visits to Jerusalem by Popes Paul VI, John Paul II
and Benedict XVI, he said, Jews around the world are expecting a further gesture of
reconciliation and a sign of the Catholic Church's commitment to moving relations
of mutual respect forward.
"What I expect, ask from God and hope with all my
heart is that in a very intelligent way, in a very careful way -- because the inhabitants
of that region have many passions -- he is able to leave a message of peace that will
inspire a dimension of peace for all," the rabbi told those attending his speech.
"Obviously, it won't be easy."
"It's easy to imagine the pope being dragged
by his coattails from one place to another because of what he represents and what
he means," Rabbi Skorka said. However, he said, the pope has the strength and charisma
to resist manipulation, "and leave a very positive sign."
"He won't resolve
all the problems -- that's impossible," the rabbi said, "but I hope he can leave a
sign that can inspire people to peace."
In his main speech, Rabbi Skorka said
the book he wrote with the pope, "On Heaven and Earth," is a collection of their dialogues
about themes of great concern to people today. "In Argentine society, where the ability
to dialogue seems very limited, we wanted to give a living example of the meaning
of dialogue in the broadest sense," he said. Source: CNS