[guide.chat] In Reply To: the pope and the rabbi
- From: "Elizabeth Kay" <ebeth.kay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "harold kitching" <harold.kitching01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "pam camidge" <pam.camidge@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "guide chat" <guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:33:03 -0000
Thankyou for this interesting piece of information Harold. I wonder what
happens now? Elizabeth
-----Original Message-----
From: harold kitching - Email Address: harold.kitching01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent On: 15/03/2013 21:54
Sent To: pam camidge, guide chat - Email Address: pam.camidge@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [guide.chat] the pope and the rabbi
r: The Pope and The Rabbi
Little known fact. Every time a new Pope is elected, there are many
rituals in accordance with tradition, but, there is one tradition that
very few people know about.
Shortly after a new Pope is enthroned, the Chief Rabbi of Rome seeks an
audience. He is shown into the Pope's presence, whereupon he presents
the Pope with a silver tray bearing a velvet cushion. On top of the
cushion is an ancient, shriveled envelope. The Pope symbolically
stretches out his arm in a gesture of rejection. The Chief Rabbi then
retires, taking the envelope with him and does not return until the
next Pope is elected.
A new Pope's reign was shortly followed by a new Chief Rabbi. He was
intrigued by this ritual and that its origins were unknown to him. He
instructed the best scholars of the Vatican to research it, but they
came up with nothing.
When the time came and the Chief Rabbi was shown into his presence,
they faithfully enacted the ritual rejection but, as the Chief Rabbi
turned to leave, the Pope called him back.
"My brother," the Pope whispered, "I must confess that we Catholics are
ignorant of the meaning of this ritual enacted for centuries between us
and you, the representative of the Jewish people. I have to ask you,
what is it all about?"
The Chief Rabbi shrugged and replied: "We have no more idea than you
do. The origin of the ceremony is lost in the traditions of ancient history."
The Pope said: "Let us retire to my private chambers and enjoy a glass
of kosher wine together; then with your agreement, we shall open the
envelope and discover the secret at last." The Chief Rabbi agreed.
Fortified in their resolve by the wine, they gingerly pried open the
curling parchment envelope and with trembling fingers, the Chief Rabbi
reached inside and extracted a folded sheet of similarly ancient paper.
As the Pope peered over his shoulder, he slowly opened it. They both
gasped with shock -
It was a bill for the Last Supper - from "Moishe the Caterer."
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