Thursday, April 21, 2005
Israel welcomes new Pope
Pope Benedict XVI broke the seals on the Papal apartments and entered them for the first time as Pope.
Israel welcomes this new Pope, thereby putting paid to rumors that the Pope's past would mar his chances of a decent relationship with that state.
Israel has welcomed the election of Pope Benedict XVI despite his past association with a Nazi party youth group. Israel says it hopes that Pope Benedict will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. "Israel welcomes the election of the new pope," said government spokesman, Mark Regev. "We are sure that under his papacy we will continue to see a strengthening relationship between Israel and the Vatican and between the Jewish people and the Catholic Church." VOA News - Israel Praises Election of Pope Benedict XVI
The article continues: Rabbi David Rosen, a leader in interfaith dialogue who has met Pope Benedict several times, says his past is not a problem. "All young people were enrolled in the Nazi Youth, this was an enforced enrollment, and there is actually nothing to suggest he had any ideological association with Nazism," he said. "On the contrary, his family was well-known as being anti-Nazi."
Israel welcomes this new Pope, thereby putting paid to rumors that the Pope's past would mar his chances of a decent relationship with that state.
Israel has welcomed the election of Pope Benedict XVI despite his past association with a Nazi party youth group. Israel says it hopes that Pope Benedict will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. "Israel welcomes the election of the new pope," said government spokesman, Mark Regev. "We are sure that under his papacy we will continue to see a strengthening relationship between Israel and the Vatican and between the Jewish people and the Catholic Church." VOA News - Israel Praises Election of Pope Benedict XVI
The article continues: Rabbi David Rosen, a leader in interfaith dialogue who has met Pope Benedict several times, says his past is not a problem. "All young people were enrolled in the Nazi Youth, this was an enforced enrollment, and there is actually nothing to suggest he had any ideological association with Nazism," he said. "On the contrary, his family was well-known as being anti-Nazi."
