san francisco | The selection of a new pope drew two early mixed reviews in San Francisco.
Within hours of the announcement, two groups took totally opposite stands.
Rabbi Michael Lerner’s Tikkun group blasted the pontiff for his stance on a variety moral issues. But BlueStar PR, known for its pro-Israel publicity, issued a poster praising Benedict’s pro-Israel views.
Lerner issued the following statement following the announcement of the new pope:
“Jews have a powerful stake and commitment in ending global poverty and oppression. We fully well understand that in a world filled with pain and cruelty, the resulting anger is often channeled in racist, sexist and homophobic directions. Both as a matter of principle, based on our commitment to a prophetic vision, and as a matter of self-interest, Jews have disproportionately supported liberal and progressive social change movements seeking to end war and poverty.
“So it was with great distress that we watched as Cardinal Ratzinger led the Vatican in the past 25 years on a path that opposed providing birth control information to the poor of the world, thereby ensuring that AIDS would spread and kill millions in Africa.
“And we watched with even greater distress as this Cardinal supported efforts to involve the Church in distancing from political candidates or leaders who did not agree with the Church’s teachings on abortion and gay rights, prioritizing these issues over whether that candidate agreed with the Church on issues of peace and social justice. As a result, Cardinal Ratzinger has led the Church away from its natural alliance with Jews in fighting for peace and social justice and toward a stance which in effect allies the Church with the most reactionary politicians whose policies are militaristic and offer a preferential option for the rich.”
In contrast to Lerner’s rebuke, BlueStar PR quickly released a poster extolling the pope’s connections to the Jewish world. “Through his book, ‘Many Religions, One Covenant,’ the pope wishes to demonstrate that faith in Jesus does not necessitate a condemnation of Judaism, in fact it requires an affirmation of the faith of Israel,” the poster states.
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