According to CBS News, Pope Benedict XVI will visit a synagogue while in New York, marking "just the third visit by any pope to a synagogue in the 2,000 year history of the Roman Catholic Church." The story says that the first was a visit by Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, and Benedict will have twice entered Jewish houses of worship and learning. Only one problem with that: St. Peter, the first pope, was a Jew. And the separation between Jews and Christians was a gradual one. Early Christians considered themselves a sect within Judaism and had to be effectively kicked out of synagogues when the differences proved too great for Judaism to contain.
Share this Article
Like this Article
Print this ArticlePrint Article