Pope in My Back Yard: The News Scoop

The pope at St. Joe's U.  --Gia Avallone

In a surprise detour, Pope Francis and his good friend Rabbi Abraham Skorka dropped by the new Jewish-Catholic sculpture at St. Joseph's University. Fortunately, I had been to the dedication of the sculpture two days earlier and  had just  interviewed Rabbi Skorka, in from Buenos Aires for the dedication. With the adrenalin racing from my old reporting days, I turned around this story for The Forward in a couple of hours. Because of my access, it's one you won't read elsewhere. You can read  the story in The Forward here.

With the words of Pope Francis 

Pope in My Back Yard: Sightings

Philadelphia at its best

With our street facing the Pope's sleeping quarters and totally blocked off, we did an end run and came up a side street this morning just before he arrived. I got to see his arm waving out his Fiat. But later in the day, came the fun. Riding through empty streets on our bikes to go into Philadelphia, past smiling, friendly uniformed police, National Guard, Border Patrol, Secret Service.
Friends with a high view had invited us and while you could see the Pope better on TV and hear his impassioned ex temp speech on love better there, too, we had spectacular views of Philadelphia.

Looking towards the Philadelphia Art Museum

Pope in My Back Yard: The Rabbi and the Sculpture

"Synagoga and Ecclesia in Our Time," dedicated today

Pope Francis' good friend and co-author Rabbi Abraham Skorka  arrived in Philadelphia a day ahead of the pontiff. (And like the Pope, he is also staying just a block from my house, though not at St. Charles Seminary. We have quite a high-end bed-and-breakfast community going here)
This afternoon Rabbi Skorka  was the keynote speaker at a dedication of an important sculpture -- one that shows Christianity and Judaism on an equal footing.
A dialogue between Rabbi Skorka and his friend, when he was Cardinal Bergoglio, deepened their relationship and their conviction that both grew spiritually from a closer understanding of each other and each other's theology.

Rabbi Skorka

That belief -- and also the effort to fight longstanding anti-Semitism, often within the Church -- led St. Joseph's University to establish, in 1967, The Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations, which is responsible for the new sculpture, along with a number of Jewish organizations including the American Jewish Committee. (*See list of other participating organizations below)
So, about that sculpture: All over Europe a sculptural representation of Judaism and Christianity in the form of two women,  shows the Christian "Ecclesia" -- tall and proud and wearing a crown -- and "Synagoga," who is blindfolded by a serpent, her staff broken, her tablets slipping from her hand. It represents the triumph of Christianity over Judaism.
The new sculpture, called   "Synagoga and Ecclesia in Our Time," by Joshua Koffman, shows the two women seated beside each other, almost like two sisters, reading over each other's shoulders.
Below is the Medieval version:

Medieval version, Strasbourg Cathedral

Beside collaborating on their book, On Heaven and Earth, Rabbi Skorka and Pope Francis appeared together on TV 31 times, showing how debate and dialogue with each other deepened their respective faiths. It's time, said Rabbi Skorka, for a "new world in which we are no longer foreigners with each other." The new rendition of the sculpture, he said, is a "reminder of our past and the challenge of the future."

Here is the text, from Nostra Aetate, which opened the door to an improvement in Catholic-Jewish relations:

"True, the Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ; still, what happened in His passion cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today. Although the Church is the new people of God, the Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the Holy Scriptures. All should see to it, then, that in catechetical work or in the preaching of the word of God they do not teach anything that does not conform to the truth of the Gospel and the spirit of Christ."

*Other groups collaborating with the Institute are the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Anti-Defamation League, Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia and World Meeting of Families.

The Pope in My Back Yard: Countdown Two Days Out

There was a buzz this morning. Helicopters practicing their landings at St. Charles Seminary., When I went out to look, I found my own personal port-a-potty, right on my corner. But first (since some have complained about my touting too many toilets),  a view of the Chapel where Pope Francis will receive the Bishops on Sunday. It was serene, the lull before the storm. The only people out were a few neighbors along E. Wynnewood Rd.

Chapel Building

And here's the building across the street from me, where the Pope isn't sleeping, It's the Seminary's school. It dates from not long after the Civil War.

Photo Courtesy Gerry Senker

Of course, downtown, excitement  is beginning to build: Personal prayer intentions posted at the Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul

Notes at the Cathedral: Photo - Terry Fernald

And now, my corner. We think the facility may be for the Secret Service and police who will be shooing people away. Anyway, I'm presuming the pictures will be a lot different come Saturday.

The Pope in My Backyard: Signs and Predictions

Here are some photos from downtown Philadelphia, taken by my daughter, in advance of the Pope's visit. Lots of signs, not so many people yet! Out my way, by St. Charles Seminary, nada. The only signs are "permit parking only". They want to keep everyone very far away.

Water bottles piled up 

Cleaning up Market St. at 8th.

The Pope in My Back Yard: The Signs of Day Two

Photo by Dotty Brown

Everywhere you look, the Pope is in fashion. Check out the Nicole Miller window in Manyunk, a Philadelphia neighborhood.

A sign  that the Pope is coming -- and that U.S. mail is not:

Photo by Naomi Fernald

The Pope in My Backyard: Day One of Countdown

The metal crowd control gates have gone up on the street bordering the side of my house a week ahead of the arrival of Pope Francis in Philadelphia. The gates also  partially block the entry way to my little street, such that one car can barely squeeze through.  The noose is tightening. No one told us about the gates. No one has told us what to expect.
Such is the scene at Ground Zero, my house, across the street from where the Pope will be sleeping one week from now.  When he arrives, we will be prisoners of the event. For that matter, most of Philadelphia will be in lock down, or lock up, depending on your perspective.
Which is why a lot of folks are heading out of town, if they can. We, however, after much thought, are staying put. Is it because we need some excitement in our lives at this certain age? Curiosity?
Or maybe it's history. The last time a pope came to town, we carried our young children on our shoulders down this very street to see him in an open-top Popemobile. It made for a good story.  Having new stories to tell is always good.
This time will surely be different. Today's paper says Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia "is the largest event security operation ever undertaken by the U.S. Secret Service." Bigger even than the inauguration of President Obama. "This one is more unique because of the amount of travel the pope will do within the city of Philadelphia and the volume of people as well," said Secret Service Director Joe Clancy.
Clearly, the city is getting prepared. Today, during a drive downtown -- probably one of the last I'll be able to make before they close down the highway -- I saw an important sight: three very large 18-wheelers, loaded with Port-a-Pottys.

Before it's too late: Pope Port-a-Pottys en route 

Speaking of which... from my bathroom window, I can look right into some of the campus buildings of St. Charles Seminary, the Pope-motel. But those buildings are about a block from where the Pope's brand new bed will be. More likely, the Secret Service, standing guard at the Seminary and looking into my window as I shower will find more entertainment than I will looking out at them.