CLERGY CORNER: The Pope and Passover

Posted on 21 March 2013 by LeslieM

The world has a new Pope and I suspect that you were not expecting the Rabbi to be writing about the new Pontiff in this column, let alone be connecting him to the Festival of Pesach. But, as I am a Jewish Chaplain working with Broward County Catholic Health Services and Catholic Hospice and their L’Chaim Program for Jewish Patients, I couldn’t help but make a connection.

We are taught that the name we are given is of great import, as it may well prove to be a harbinger to the type of person we will grow up to be. The New Pontiff has chosen the name Franciso, or Francis. I, for one, think he chose his name well. The name Francis comes from Middle English and refers to a “Free man.” Being free is what the entire Festival of Passover is about. It is why we retell the story of our journey from slavery to freedom at each and every Seder Meal. And, if you look up the Hebrew name for Francis, you will find that one very real possibility (in fact, the one that I would give to him) is, none other than, Pesach …

Of course, even though I am a Rabbi, I am familiar with the most famous Francis … St. Francis of Assisi. At a very young age, he, too, knew the pain of being a slave as he was locked away in a jail for a full year. And yet, it was during his incarceration that he was able to begin his spiritual journey and turn his life around to become a champion of the poor and a striver for peace for one and all.

There is no question that we live in an age where there are still far too many poor… not just in economic terms, but in spiritual terms as well. And, surely all you have to do is look at any newspaper and you know that the world is in great need of peace.

The Pope has been called to lead our Catholic Brothers and Sisters just like Moses was called to lead us. As a Rabbi, it is no secret that I cannot help but see the world through Jewish eyes. It is, after all, who and what I am. And I know that many reading this column follow the same path and you might be wondering how will this Pope be in regard to the Jewish People?

Last November, he led a special memorial in remembrance of the victims of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, with Rabbi Avruj by his side and he held the memorial in the Buenos Aries Metropolitan Cathedral no less. He spoke out strongly against the bombings at the Jewish Center of Buenos Aires. He has close ties to the Latin American Jewish Congress and worked with them in their New Generations Program. He is no stranger to attending synagogue services as he has been to Shul on more than one occasion. And, if you look for a book written by Rabbi Sergio Bergman, be sure to look at the Forward because then Archbishop, now Pope, wrote the forward for Rabbi Bergman and called the Rabbi “one of my teachers.”

As we Jews begin to celebrate Pesach, our Festival of Freedom, let us extend a hearty Mazal Tov to Pope Francis and join him in helping to bring more love, peace and freedom to one and all.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and of the Association of Professional Chaplains, He works professionally in this capacity with a number of healthcare facilities in the area, and with hospice. He is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach.

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