By John-Henry Westen
JERUSALEM, July 5, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Israel’s Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar has formally written Pope Benedict XVI asking for help in stopping homosexual activists from staging a “World Pride” parade in the holy city of Jerusalem. Last year the coordinated efforts of Jewish, Muslim and Christian religious leaders successfully put off the gay pride event with homosexual activists claiming that they cancelled the event only because of the Gaza pull-out which was scheduled a few days prior to the event.
Once again Jewish, Muslim and Christian religious and even political leaders have put aside their differences and have come together to defend the city which they all revere against the weeklong event set to take place August 6-12.
Rabbi Amar’s letter to the Pope stated: “We ask your Excellency to issue an emotional, strong, and unequivocal call against this horrible phenomenon, in the hope that the amalgamation of protests being voiced by religious leaders will awaken the lost hearts who are deceiving themselves and immeasurably harming their souls, and discourage the willful wrongdoer from cursing and corrupting humanity.”
The Rabbi added, “We were shocked to hear of plans to hold the world Pride Parade in the Holy City . . . The city which the entire world looks up to due to its holiness and glory, is now being attacked by evil people who wish to violate its honor and humiliate its greatness with deeds that the Torah despises, as well as all other religions. There is no need to elaborate about their plans and evil actions that bring human dignity to the ground.”
The Vatican has already expressed its concerns along with the Israeli leadership. Monsignor Antonio Franco, the Vatican ambassador to Israel met with Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski informing him of the Vatican’s opposition to the event being staged in the holy city and is working with Jewish and Muslim leaders to oppose the event. It is “the few imposing their will on the majority,” said Msgr. Franco.
The majority opposition to the “World Pride” was evidenced yesterday as politicians in the Knesset presented a petition of over 100,000 signatures opposing the event. Also presented were the results of a poll demonstrating that 69 percent of Jerusalem residents oppose the event with only 12 percent in support. Twenty-four of the 31 members of the Jerusalem city council have also signed a petition opposing the event.
Homosexual activists targeted Jerusalem for their venue after succeeding in holding World Pride in Rome despite the strenuous objections of the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI may well personally condemn the Jerusalem event as did his predecessor John Paul II when the homosexual activist event descended on Rome.
The normally mild-mannered John Paul II said at the time: “In the name of the Church of Rome, I can only express bitterness for the affront to the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 and for the offense to the Christian values of a city so dear to the hearts of Catholics throughout the world.”
“The Church, cannot silence the truth, because she would fail in her fidelity to God the Creator and would not help in discerning what is good from what is evil,” he added. The pope then cited the Catholic Catechism which says that “homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law.”
The decision on whether to allow the event is to be made by Israeli Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter in consultation with Jerusalem police.