Jewish leaders condemn Pope over Holocaust bishop
Look at the Pope, making decisions affecting Catholic bishops in the middle of the Jewish Sabbath???? What was he thinking????? This is a sensitive time for British Jewry, coming on the heals of Israel's vicious attacks on the Palestinians. And shouldn't the Pope be thinking about British Jewry at all times? Clearly, the Pope has No Business conducting Catholic business at a sensitive time for British Jewry. Actually, it's pretty much always a sensitive time for somebody somewhere, so why don't we just skip any and all decisions that might upset some people someplace at any time ever. That makes more sense.Leading members of Britain's Jewish community have joined in condemnation of the Pope's decision to lift the excommunication on a bishop who denies the Holocaust at the same time as the nation commemorates the six million Jews murdered in the Nazi death camps.
Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday, in the middle of the Jewish Sabbath, lifted the excommunications on four bishops of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X, including the English Old Wykehamist Bishop Richard Williamson.
In an interview broadcast on Swedish television last week, Bishop Williamson said: "There were no gas chambers." He also stated that he did not believe six million had died, and the number was between 200,000 and 300,000. In the past, he has endorsed the anti-Semitic forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
The lifting of the excommunications could not have come at a more sensitive time for British Jewry, already facing an unprecedented increase in anti-Semitic attacks as a result of Israel's action in Gaza.
How does Dr. Kessler presume to speak for the Catholics? That's just amazing. He's not even Catholic. After that all happened, the "scandal" escalated when the Chief Rabbinate broke Vatican ties.Dr Ed Kessler, of the Centre for the Study of Jewish Christian Relations at the Woolf Institute in Cambridge, said: "In the 20 odd years that I have been teaching Jewish-Christian relations I never thought I would witness a time when in the name of Christian unity, a German-bred Pope would bring back into the fold a Holocaust-denier. It is absolutely astonishing. While it is an internal decision for the Roman Catholic Church it has huge consequences, not just in terms of relations with Jews but also other faiths and ecumenical relations. It is a very very sad day for Catholic-Jewish relations." [filling many tissues]
Dr Kessler said he doubted the Pope's planned trip to Israel would now go ahead but warned that if it did, it would be dogged by huge controversy.
He said: "It is not enough to say that it is a technicality that these people are being brought back into the fold. This is not just a problem for the Jews, it is a problem most of all for the Catholics." Traditional Catholics however continued to celebrate the lifting of the excommunications, timed to coincide with the end of the annual Week for Christian Unity.
Apparently, the Pope's decision to reinstate Bishop Williamsom without forcing him to publicly apologize and recant his positions effectively suspends relations with the Jews. I guess this is like the old "one drop" theory of racial purity, except in this case, even one Catholic Bishop believing something distasteful to the Jews poisons the whole relationship. Of course, the Pope quickly caved under this public pressure, and expressed solidarity with the Jews.Chief Rabbinate Director-General Oded Weiner wrote in a letter to Vatican officials that because of Pope Benedict's decision to reinstate Britain's Bishop Richard Williamson "without a public apology and recanting, it will be difficult to continue the dialogue," The Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday.
Weiner addressed the letter to Cardinal Walter Casper, chairman of the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, saying he had canceled a meeting scheduled for March in Rome, the newspaper reported.
Makes you wonder about those parameters. Well, while we're putting people under the microscope for their beliefs, how's about we ask some Rabbis to explain the Talmud? I mean, there's a few bits in there that call for some public apologies and recanting. (Go get your box of tissues...I'll wait...)In his weekly audience with the public on Wednesday, Benedict said he “renewed with love” his “full and indisputable solidarity” with Jews, whom he called “our brothers of the first covenant.”
He added that he had repeatedly visited Auschwitz, the location of the “brutal massacre of millions of Jews, innocent victims of blind racial and religious hatred,” and said that the Holocaust “should be a warning for everyone against forgetting, denying or diminishing its significance.”
But tensions remained, a day after Israel’s highest religious body sent a letter to the Vatican asking to postpone an annual bilateral meeting and voicing “sorrow and pain” at the pope’s decision to welcome the bishop back into the fold.
[snip]
The Israeli ambassador to the Vatican, Mordechay Lewy, said he welcomed the pope’s remarks about the Holocaust and called them “instrumental in shaping the parameters of the existing and future relations between Jews and Catholics.”
A place of Christian worship is called (1) Beth Tilfah, a house of vanity and foolishness, in place of Beth Tefilah, a house of prayer; (2) Beth Abhodha Zarah, a House of Idolatry; (3) Beth Hatturapi Schel Letsim, a house of Evil Laughter.Oh sad sad day. This is actually just a small sample of disturbing things in the Talmud. If you're a Christian, are your feelings hurt knowing that your religion and everything about it is considered evil in the Talmud? Or is this "just a technicality?" I'm just curious how many Rabbis believe these vicious things about the Christian faith, and Christians, and do they teach these hateful things to their followers? And if so, shouldn't this information also be dragged through every newspaper as scandalous? And shouldn't these Rabbis be forced to publicly apologize and renounce such hateful teachings? Or is all this religious scrutiny just a one way street?
Chalises used in the Sacrifice of the mass are spoken of as vessels in which filth is offered up to the idol. Moses Kozzensis, in Hilkoth Abhodah Zarah (10b) says:
"A Jew who buys Chalises of the Goi, which are broken and thrown away, it is not permitted to sell them again to them, because their priest of Baal will use them in the worship of the idol."
The Talmud calls the books of the Christians Minim - heretical books - Siphre Debeth Abidan - Books of the House of Perdition. The Talmud in particular speaks of the books of the Gospels. Thus in Schabbath (116a) Toseph:
"Rabbi Meir calls heretical books Aaven Gilaion (volumes of iniquity) because the call them Gospels."
And Rabbi Jochanan calls these books Aavon Gilaion, evil books. The Schulchan Arukh, Crakow edition, gives this name as Aven Niktabh al Haggilaion - iniquity written in a book.
Buxtorf says: "In the Arukh there is a note Scheker Niktabh al Gilaion, which means, a lie written in a book."
All the Talmudists agree that the books of the Christians should be destroyed. They differ only as to what should be done with the names of God contained in them. In Schabbath (116a) it says:
"The Glossaries of our own books and the books of the heretics are not to be saved from the flames, if they should catch fire on the Sabbath day. Rabbi Jose, however, says: 'On festival days the divine names should be torn out of the books of the Christians and hidden away; what remains must be given to the flames.' But Rabbi Tarphon says: 'In order that I may be remembered by my children, if those books should ever fall into my hands I would burn them together with the divine names contained therein. For if one is chased by an assassin, or by a serpent, it would be better to take refuge in a pagan temple than in one of theirs; because the Christians knowingly resist the truth, whereas the pagans do so unknowingly."
Christian prayers are called, not Tefillah, but Tiflah. They change the point and insert Iod, which makes it read to mean sin, foolishness and transgression.
Christian festivals, especially Sunday, are called Ion Ed - day of destruction, perdition, misfortune or calamity. They are also simply called Iom Notsri - Christian Days. The word Ed rightly interpreted means misfortune or calamity, as appears from the Gemarah and the Glossaries of Maimonides in Abhodah Zarah (2a):
"The word Edehem means the festivals of the Christians, since it is written (in Deuter. XXXII, 35): the day of their calamity."
Maimonides also says in Abhodah Zarah (78c):
"The words Edehem means the foolishness of their festivlas. It is the name for their despicable feast days which do not merit the name of Moedim, for they are really vain and evil."
Baretenora also writes:
"The word Edehem is the name for their ignominious festivals and solemnities."
The marginal notes of Tosephtoth also give this name to Christian festivals. Thus in Abhodah Zarah (6a):
"The Day of Evil, that is the Christian Day, is forbidden to us as well as all their other feast days."
Some Christian festivals are mentioned by name, such as the feast of Christmas and Easter. Moses Mikkozzi, referring to the above text of Abhodah Zarah , says:
"Rabbi Sammuel declares, in the name of Solomon Iarchi, that in particular the festivals of Christmas and Easter, which are their principal evil days and the foundation of their religion, are forbidden to us."
Maimonides, in hilkoth Akum (ch. IX) has the same:
"Sammuel repeats the words of Rabbi Sal. Iarchi which forbid us particularly to celebrate the feasts of Christmas and Easter, which are celebrated on account of him who was hanged."
Furthermore, indications of the impiety of the Jews are to be found in the names which they give to these Christian festivals: For in place of using Tav in the word Nithal, they often write Tet and call it Nital for the Latin word Natalis, the Feast of the Nativity. They make it appear as if this word were from the root Natal which connotes extermination or destruction. Likewise they refuse to use the word Paschal (Pesach) for the Christian feast of Easter. The substitute Koph for Phe and insert the letter iod and call it Ketsach or Kesach. Both pronunciations have an evil meaning. Ketsach is from the root Katsah, meaning to amputate or cut off from, and Kesach is from the root Kesa, meaning to wood or a gallows. This is done because the feast of Easter is celebrated by Christians in memory of Christ - the one who was hanged - who was put to death and who rose again from the dead.
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Just because Rubie had $20,000 dollars in cash in a travel bag when he was arrested means nothing, as he will obey American law without a doubt, so religious these people are.
Rubashkin Posts Bail, Freed from Jail
By Daren Sukhram Jan 28, 2009
DUBUQUE - The former head of the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant in Postville is out of jail.
Sholom Rubashkin posted bail a day after a judge set it at $500,000 dollars.
Rubashkin was held without bail since November after prosecutors argued he was a flight risk.
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/38559217.html
Yes, it will be difficult to continue the dialog when you have bombs/anti-semetic Catholics.
Peace talks must be postponed with Hamas/the world.
With George Mitchell meeting with Abbas and Carter insisting that Hamas be included in the talks, Israel senses that we are finally catching.
Next move? Israel is going to give it all they've got. Last dance.
Sis, we the peeps catch on. Yes we do. I hope the US military, which has sacrificed God knows how many people to this monster, are paying close attention at this hour.
Go, Pope!
No physical, pictorial, nor forensic evidence of gas chambers ever emerged, not even at Auschwitz. The "eyewitness" descriptions indicate resort to convenient metaphor. The US military did not find and record any location or mechanism for gassing people. I don't know the truth, and wouldn't put it past human nature, but that's kind of the point. No one knows, those who claim it can't prove it, and are offended if asked to.
One time I was thinking (not terribly seriously) of converting to reformed Judaism to fill the void after leaving my church. (Considered the Catholic church, too.) But then I got a copy of the Talmud. That ended that.
The Catholic church may have its problems, but just like Jesus was, it tends towards being big-hearted and inclusive. Judaism's doctrines tend towards being relentlessly paranoid, petty, and exclusive.
Re: your conversion...Interesting that by using your formidable intellect you saw fit to steer away from Judaism. Makes one wonder why more smart people can't figure that out.
This is what I'll say about the Catholic church: At least it has produced people like Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint John of the Cross, Thomas Merton, Brother Lawrence, and many others whose writings convey a profound humility. To me, this is the true mark of holiness. So it is possible to approach God through Catholicism.
Whereas with Judaism, steering away was less a mental exercise than a gut-level horror of nonsense.
As for Catholic women, there is a certain fierceness in the truth that shows up from time to time and expresses in a certain way, given that women tend to understand iniquity and can therefore defend the weak and helpless in a way that men typically cannot fully grasp. Because it is a man's world, after all, and men have expectations to meet. Though Paul noted this when he said, "When I am weak, then I am strong." Put another way, it's spiritual jujitsu, I guess. We use what we have. And if we are accustomed to weakness, then it's perhaps easier for a woman to surrender her will to the Lord than it is for a man to do the same. And then, viola, we are strong because we have become an instrument of Christ in the world. And this understanding is self-enforcing, so that you can get very powerful (soft power) Catholic women in the world here and there. That might be what you notice.
That said, even such attractions are not incompatible with becoming an instrument of Christ in the world, and women seem to bear advantages in that regard which you put so well. You're making me ponder them now, and all my attempts to describe would lessen them.