By MIKE CAPUTO
On both legs of his trip - through Washington, D.C. and New York - the pontiff orchestrated events that involved leaders of diverse faiths ranging from Judaism to Buddhism. He led a conference at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, April 17, that comprised a group of various religious leaders, including Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, spiritual leader of Temple Israel of Lawrence, believed to be the only Long Island rabbi in attendance. Rosenbaum then joined a private meeting with the pope and a selection of Jewish and Catholic leaders. Choosing the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center as a site for the inter-faith programs was meant to symbolize the current pontiff's desire to continue the inter-religious dialogue of his mentor and predecessor. “The progress made by the Vatican II in Catholic-Jewish relations continues and the statement by John Paul II that the 'Jews are the Catholics' elder brothers' and 'we share a special covenant with God' remains,” Rosenbaum said. It was the second time Rosenbaum has participated in a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, and last met him at the Vatican in November 2006. The pope's inter-faith conferences occurred only two months after a controversial prayer revision for Good Friday stirred debate among religious leaders around the world. The pope reportedly angered Jewish groups in February after he revised the prayer to include a call for a conversion of Jews. That added even more significance to both the pope's efforts to reach out to those of diverse faiths and his trip to America, Rosenbaum explained. “The timing was perfect,” Rosenbaum said. “I believe actions speak louder than words.” After his trip through Washington, one of the pope's first stops in New York was a historical visit on Friday, April 18 to Park East Synagogue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The pope's visit to the Jewish institution marked the first time a pontiff visited a synagogue in the United States. “It is an affirmation that we are not only a great economic and military power, we are also a great spiritual power on the world scene,” Rosenbaum said. The pope rounded out his six-day trip to the United States over the weekend with a youth rally at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, a visit to Ground Zero and a Mass at Yankee Stadium. He departed for the Vatican on Sunday evening after a ceremony was held at JFK Airport. Comments about this story? Mcaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
