Jerusalem – Ahead of Pope Benedict XVI’s May visit to Israel, the rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinovitch, has said that it is not proper to come to the site wearing a cross.
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The pope wears a cross in all public appearances and is slated to visit the Western Wall on May 12 after a meeting with Muslim religious leaders at the Dome of the Rock.
After the visit, which will include a meeting with Rabinovitch, the pope is slated to meet with Israel’s two chief rabbis, Yona Metzger and Shlomo Amar.
“My position is that it is not fitting to enter the Western Wall area with religious symbols, including a cross,” said Rabinovitch in a telephone interview with The Jerusalem Post Monday. “I feel the same way about a Jew putting on a tallit and phylacteries and going into a church.”
Rabinovitch is responsible for religious decorum at the site.
“In coming days I intend to discuss the issue with the pope’s people,” Wadie Abunassar, media coordinator for the pope’s visit to the Holy Land, said in response to reports that the pontiff would not remove his cross. “I cannot imagine the Holy Father removing his cross.”
Rabinovitch also opposes security arrangements that would prevent worshipers from reaching the Kotel for several hours before and during the pope’s visit.
“For the past 42 years, no one has ever been prevented from praying at the Western Wall and, God willing, no one ever will. A solution needs to be reached that provides adequate security for the pope without infringing on the right of everyone to pray. The Western Wall belongs to everyone.”
This should be worked out privately
What a tzadik
Let him wear the tsaylem – it’s not something to make a geshrei over. It’s not for us to care – at least he wants to make a respectful visit.
I wouldn’t mess around with the Pope’s cross. We should considers ourselves lucky that he is going to be wearing a yarmulke,
Of the two issues. It is vital that the voice of Jacob should not be stilled at the Kotel. To make the Kotel Judenrein even for a short time for the benefit of another faith seems contrary to the whole purpose of establishing the State The Pontiff is visiting.
The only way for Israel to take its place among the nations is to stand proud and with the attitude Here the world conforms to Torah and Jewish sensibilities
The Rabbi shouldn’t be in the cloister to begin with. the pope with his tzailem at the kosel is an affront to yiddishkeit
Thats a Rabbi that owns his turf!!
I agree Milhouse, that’s why the Chief Rabbi shouldn’t enter the Vatican. In fact, according to rov poskim it is assur.
Who cares if he wears the cross or not? I don’t. There are millions of visitors every year who visit the Kosel wearing crosses. Big deal. He’s a Christian, that’s what Christians do.
#7 – lol – too funny.
A Yarmulka is a mandated religious article. The cross is just a rligious statement. There is no halacha that the pope cannot walk daled amos without wearing it!!
I’m so proud of this rabbi. He’s not afraid to stand up for the truth.
Talk about politically incorrect.
kol hakavod! we have to be proud with our stands and beleives, and not try to chanfeh to the pope.
The Pope can wear a coat or jacket that conceals the cross, just like many of us wear Tsitsit under our shirts. He doesn’t remove it, and we don’t see it. Everyone is happy!
A Tzelom is also an abomination for the Muslims.
I wonder if the Muslims will allow the pope to enter their “holly” place while he is wearing a tzelom.
The Rabbi is correct of course, but while he’s at it, why not point out that the Pope shouldn’t be christian to begin with?
(replt to Millhouse & #17 ) Check out the very first T’suvah in Igros Moshe – Orach Chaim. A wearing a Yarmulka is Midas Chasidus and not mandatory.
and what the security issue, president bush was there with out a problem why is this different?
Let it be known that the comment that used to be here at #2 , which was in my name, was not posted by me. Someone has been forging my name. Thank you VIN editors for removing the comment, but many posters have seen it and there are two comments that reply to it, so I feel the need to make this announcement.
I’m not sure how you can expect him to remove his cross if you dont want to be forced to remove your yarmulke or hat in other situations. I dont think the pope considers his cross as stam a piece of religious jewelry. It is a constant reminder to him of what he worships, lehavdil, just like yidden cover their heads as a constant reminder of what is above us.
The nes of purim happend because Mordechi would not bend to a cross worn by Homon.
Didn’t the last Pope tuck it in his dress? So why can’t this guy? Unless, of course, he’s looking to make a statement. No surprise, then.
If he opts for the cross I hope he wears it on top of his Hitler Youth Uniform booth are equally offensive to Jews.The cross reminds me of the Crusades when the cross was the symbol of murdering Europe’s Jews on the way to the Holy Land
The cross or zteilim represent 2 thousand years of jewish persecution. show a cross to a jew in spain in the 1400s and see the reaction.
and in general, why does the pope have to go to the kotel when he is going to the dome of the rock?
I just don’t get it. Why does anyone who is not Jewish visit the Kosel and put a “kvitel” into the wall? Do they believe in Hashem? Do they believe that the Bais Hamikdosh was once standing there and this wall is a remnant of that?
The only reason the Kosel has any value to the world at all is because the Yidden daven their and proclaim it as holy. Why do they believe the Yidden about this but not about the rest of Eretz Yisrael?
Such hisgarus be’ummos. Disgraceful. This rabbi or whatever he calls himself is trying to get some cheap publicity by cheppening with the pope. Who cares what he wears, and it should be nobodys business either. he is coming in a peaceful way, and should be welcomed rather than attacked.
Why are people making such a big tsimmis about the Pope’s cross? More important, someone should watch him when he is writing a kvittel for the kotel and make sure that he doesn’t say anything bad about the Jews. If he starts to write in Latin or German, then we’ll know that we have a problem.
Unless there is a rule that does not allow “anyone” to wear a cross at the Kotel, it is absolutely a chilul hashem to be discriminatory against the Pope and a chilul to make an issue about this because the Rav wants to make one. Saying that the Pope cannot wear a cross that represents his religions when any number of christians/catholics visit the Kotel on any given day wearing their livush, rosary beads and crosses is absolutly ludicrous. Would it OK then if non religious jews who visit the historical sites of italy or go into the catholic quarters of Israel be made to take off their mogen dovid or kipot if they wear one? One thing has nothing to do with the other.
Will the Rav also say the Pope can not pray to JC at the Kotel, but he can only pray to OUR eibishter and use only OUR prayers? What does the Pope know about praying to Hashem and using our tefilos, that would be sheker. He knows and does what he knows to do, and Hashem listens to his tefilos the way HE chooses to because he is still one of HIS creations.
So lets respect others for who they are and leave politics out of it. We are not going to be mekarev the Pope or teach him to believe differently about the trinity. Trying to remove his religious vestments at the Kotel would be akin of HIM telling a Jew what they could wear in his presence and not the RAV telling another Jew what HE should wear in the Pope’s presence. And if the Pope were to say that a Jew should remove his kippah or tuck in his tzizis in his presence all “h” would break loose.
The cross is avodah zara and should be treated as such to ALL who come to the kosel not just the pope