Pope Benedict XVI landed in Israel yesterday for a 5-day visit, only the third papal visit to Israel in history. (Of course that’s not bad, since the Vatican only decided to recognize Israel in 1993. I’m still not sure I’ve gotten around to recognizing the Vatican yet.)
He has a jam-packed schedule which was printed in several places in last Friday’s Jerusalem Post. One of the published schedules was considerate enough to include which parts of Jerusalem would be shut down (street-by-street) on which days. This was relevant because while we had plans to go up to the city to enjoy a barbecue lunch with friends today, we would not have been able to do so tomorrow when the Pope visits nearby Bethlehem and the streets are vehicle-rein for the duration.
In general, the Pope’s visit is a nice thing. It’s a warm gesture toward Jews from a quarter whose record on Jews has been historically less than warm and fuzzy. It’s an apolitical show of support for the idea of peace in the region (sort of like that of a beauty pageant contestant’s). And it’s an effort to hearten the beleaguered and dwindling Christian community in this part of the world, whose existence is of no particular interest to the Jews, but an irritant to the Muslims who have pursued a program of harassment and intimidation that has led to most of the Christians leaving the country.
One thing that is not nice, however, is the effort the Vatican has been making to gain control over a number of buildings in Israel, including many in Jerusalem. Chief among the latter is the building housing the room where the Last Supper is reputed to have taken place, but which also houses a yeshiva and the tombs of Kings David, Solomon, and Hezekiah. I am not well versed in the legal aspects of what is Church property and what isn’t, or what sort of terms exist between the Vatican and Israel for the transfer of control of property. But while Israel may stand to benefit financially from an increase in Christian pilgrimage to sites turned over to Catholic control, it would clearly represent a loss to the Jews of one of the most meaningful sites we possess on Mt. Zion. The rooftop of the yeshiva was, between the years 1948 and 1967, the closest a Jew could get to the Temple Mount, and yeshiva students would often pray up there. The tomb of three of our greatest kings cannot possibly mean as much to Christians as it does to us. But the bitterest feeling I have about the possible transfer of these properties to the Vatican is the question, “What do we get from them?” I don’t think collateral revenue is enough for the transfer of a royal tomb. I have something a little more substantial in mind: the vessels from the Second Temple.
I don’t believe the Pope, a former member of the Hitlerjugend, is proud of his wartime activities. I believe he takes seriously his role as an advocate of world peace. He has denounced anti-Semitism. He has renounced Catholic missionary activity. And I think he recognizes when terrorism and religious extremism represent roadblocks to peace, even if he can’t point a finger and say, “There are the bloodthirsty bastards who are holding up the parade!”
These are all reasons why I think he should take his goodness a step further and return our plundered property. There is little doubt in anyone’s mind (who considers the historical events of nearly 2000 years ago) where the golden menorah carved in relief on the Arch of Titus ended up. The Jews led off to Rome ended up slaves, and the Temple vessels ended up…in the vaults of the Vatican. They are not on display, and I doubt the Church has ever admitted to having them in its possession. But just as Hamas kidnapping Gilad Shalit and keeping him in an undisclosed location with no contact with his family or visits from the Red Cross is a crime of world-class proportions, so is sitting on property stolen from the Jews. I don’t blame the Church entirely for its possession of these items; after all, it wasn’t Christians who stole the stuff, but the Romans. But relations between the Catholic Church and the Jews have warmed in the past two millenia, and it’s time to mark that fact with something momentous. If Jews are entitled to claim their dead ancestors’ life insurance benefits (purchased by Jews who perished in the Shoah) and priceless works of art stolen by the Nazis that occasionally come to light in collections across Europe, surely the Jewish people (now represented by the State of Israel) is entitled to the recovery of vessels which were once used in the biblically mandated service of God.
If it were up to me, this would be a deal-breaker: Give us back our stuff from the Temple and you can have your buildings back. In about 2000 years.
Shimshonit 
I’ve been thinking for years that we should ask the Vatican for the vessels, etc., back. My main question, however, is whether they still have them or whether items such as the menorah were melted down for their gold (or whatever) ages ago. Rome was not averse to reusing items from their own religious past (such as statues of goddesses) for the marble (there are buildings in Rome that have pieces of statuary built into them because they wanted the materials), so I am not confident that at this point our items are still intact.
This thought crossed my mind too after having read how Incan treasures made of gold were melted down by the Spanish even before they left Peru (for easier transport). I still think it would not be inappropriate to ask for whatever (if anything) remains.