Connect with us

Uncategorized

Israeli rabbis accuse the Pope of ‘teaching contempt towards Jews,’ Vatican shrugs it off

Published

on

Screen Shot 2021 09 10 at 8.43.59 AM

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”682985″ player=”23886″ title=”Why%20Trump%20is%20the%20best%20pick%20for%20Jews%20and%20Israel.” duration=”721″ description=”Reporter Jennie Taer interviews Trump Campaign Strategic Advisor Boris Epshteyn. Epshteyn also serves as co-chair for Jewish Voices for Trump and speaks to v…” uploaddate=”2020-11-24″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/18168/thumb/682985_t_1606241360.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/18168/sd/682985.mp4″]


Pope Francis faced criticism from several Israeli rabbis after his comments about the Torah a month ago. They accused Francis of suggesting that their scripture was obsolete. As a result, they asked him in a letter to clarify his comments. Now, the Vatican wrote its response on Friday, claiming Francis comments did not apply to modern Judaism, but to Christians instead.

The Law According to Francis

At the time, Francis was speaking to a general audience at the Vatican. He paraphrased what St. Paul said about the Torah in the New Testament. Later, he also tweeted a similar sentiment.

“The law however does not give life,” Pope Francis said of the first five books in the Bible, also known as the Torah. “It does not offer the fulfillment of the promise because it is not capable of being able to fulfill it . . . Those who seek life need to look to the promise and to its fulfillment in Christ.”

Then, chair of the Commission of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel for Dialogue with the Holy See Rabbi Rasson Arousi wrote a letter demanding clarification.

“In his homily, the pope presents the Christian faith as not just superseding the Torah; but asserts that the latter no longer gives life, implying that Jewish religious practice in the present era is rendered obsolete,” Arousi said in the letter. “This is in effect part and parcel of the ‘teaching of contempt’ towards Jews and Judaism that we had thought had been fully repudiated by the Church,” he said.

The Vatican’s Response

Cardinal Kurt Koch penned a letter in response, obtained by Reuters. His department covers religious relations with Jews. He rejected the notion that the Pope was making any declarative statement about Jews.

“The abiding Christian conviction is that Jesus Christ is the new way of salvation. However, this does not mean that the Torah is diminished or no longer recognised as the ‘way of salvation for Jews,'” Koch wrote. “In his catechesis the Holy Father does not make any mention of modern Judaism . . . The fact that the Torah is crucial for modern Judaism is not questioned in any way.”

Now, Pope Francis’ full address remains on YouTube.

You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism.

You may like

Continue Reading

Featured

The Tate Brothers and Associates Face Human Trafficking Charges in Romania

Published

on

GettyImages 1251303209 scaled

In a recent development, the Tate brothers, Andrew and Tristan, along with two associates, find themselves at the center of a high-profile case involving human trafficking allegations.

The charges leveled against them indicate the formation of an organized criminal group in 2021 with the intent to carry out human trafficking operations not only in Romania but also in the United States and the United Kingdom, according to the BBC.

The investigation, which led to their arrest in December last year, has culminated in an indictment filed with the Bucharest court. According to the indictment, the Tate brothers are accused of luring their victims with false promises of love and marriage. Seven individuals have been identified as alleged victims, who were later coerced and subjected to a harrowing ordeal.

Prosecutors contend that the victims were taken to locations in Ilfov county, Romania, where they faced constant surveillance, intimidation, and control. The defendants allegedly forced the victims into debt and coerced them into participating in pornographic activities, with the explicit material subsequently shared on social media platforms. Shockingly, one of the defendants is accused of raping a woman on two occasions in March 2022, further amplifying the gravity of the charges.

While the trial is not expected to commence immediately, as a Romanian judge is granted 60 days to inspect the case files, it is anticipated to be a protracted legal battle. The complexity of the case and the severity of the charges will undoubtedly result in a lengthy trial process, with several years potentially passing before a verdict is reached.

Representatives for the Tate brothers released a statement acknowledging the unsurprising nature of the news but maintaining their belief in their innocence.

As reported by the BBC, the Tate brothers media team stared, “While this news is undoubtedly predictable, we embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation.”

They expressed their eagerness to present a comprehensive body of evidence meticulously collected over time, which they believe will substantiate their claims of innocence and restore their tarnished reputation.

However, it should be noted that additional charges, such as money laundering and trafficking of minors, are still under investigation. If evidence is uncovered to support these allegations, a separate indictment could be filed, further complicating the legal proceedings for the defendants.

Andrew Tate, who gained notoriety through his participation in the reality television show Big Brother, has a controversial past, having been removed from the show in 2016 following a video that appeared to depict him assaulting a woman.

Despite subsequent bans on social media platforms due to his contentious statements, he has managed to amass a following, particularly among young men, by promoting an ostentatious and hyper-masculine lifestyle.

As the case unfolds, public attention will undoubtedly be drawn to the trial, with many eagerly awaiting the outcome and hoping for justice to be served for the alleged victims. The complex web of charges and the high-profile nature of the defendants ensure that this trial will be closely monitored and scrutinized by the media and the public alike.

Follow Alexander Carter on Twitter @AlexCarterDC for more!

You may like

Continue Reading

Trending