From the Huffington Post: Catholic Patriarch Blasts Israel for Allowing Gay Parade. Sigh. Just when we thought relations between the Jewish State and the Catholic world were actually doing pretty well after some grumpy millennia.
But wait. The Patriarch is Palestinian, isn't he? So is he more Catholic, or more Palestinian? And he seems to be unhappy that Israel doesn't let "millions of believers" into Jerusalem, while the gays are allowed in. Of course, those "not allowed in" are - if I'm following his insinuation - citizens of countries which are at war with Israel: Syria, say, or Saudi Arabia. Might be interesting to see if Israel might grant entrance to a delegation of Saudi gays who wish to participate in Jerusalem's gay parade. Then again, it's nice that the local Catholic authorities here in town agree with the local Haredi ones; that's promising ecumenism for you. Except that these orthodox rabbis seem to be on the side of the gays. So what does that tell us about their relations to the Vatican? Its all so confusing.
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some Lutheran World outfit recently decided on a new leader from the Arab fold also http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/index.php/palestinian-bishop-elected-president-of-the-lutheran-world-federation.html
Wiki says Fouad Twal was born in Jordan so he may be all kinds of things and anyway church men are above all earthly considerations and desires (especially the lower ones) - so the fold they come from may be of interest only in mean minded women like myself.
I recently heard 45 minutes talk with Kardinal Kasper (retiring ecunemical expert of the Vatican with lots of Jewish friends) whose explanation of what the reintroduction of the prayer for the Jews or whatever it is called in English meant would keep me from ever buying a car from him as would a lot of other stuff he told.
i.e. I'd advise any Jew to carefully count his fingers after each hand-shake with any of them.
Silke
PS: never knew the Vatican had patriarchs too - it makes me wonder whether they have them only where they have to compete with the orthodox
Off topic: Muqata live blogging after skirmish/attack on northern border
http://muqata.blogspot.com/2010/08/attack-on-northern-israel.html
"The Patriarch is Palestinian, isn't he? So is he more Catholic, or more Palestinian?"
Is the Patriarch more Catholic than the Pope? :-)
Sorry ... old joke.
When it comes to issues like LBGT rights in Jerusalem or Israel in general , I'm inclined to see it as more of a religious issue than a Palestinian or Arab one. This is especially true if the religious leader comes from a religion with long history of issues towards the LBGT community like the Catholic Church.
The letter of the Orthodox Rabbis is a good step in the right direction. It also high lights the inherent Jew-hatred of the anti-Zionists, even the Jewish ones. Israel is the most liberal and progressive state in the Middl East and still has strong socialist elements in it. There is flourishing LBGT community. It is one of the twenty-three states in the world that completely prohibit any form of corporal punishment for children. Israel is trying to do the right thing with the Israeli-born children of illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, according to the NYT, Iran is angry at Brazil for giving asylum to a woman sentenced to death for allegedly cheating on her husband. Bloody stupid, bigots.
AKUS
in German the very common saying still widely in use is:
"more catholic than the pope permits"
Silke
You'll be glad to know that it was a tough fight, but in the end the HPers hate the Catholic Church more than they hate Israel. So most of the criticism was in that direction.
OT but really important
one killed and one critically wounded while UNIFIl supervised it all
http://idfspokesperson.com/
Silke
If Israel cured cancer and AIDS and found a way to feed everyone on the planet for free, at least 30% of the religious Christians, as well as all the Arabs and 90% of the liberal progressives in the west would scream and complain about it.
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