Catholic Church to adopt family Shabbat dinners?
Celebrity US Rabbi Shmuley Boteach meets Pope, suggests Church turn Friday night dinners into family meals, according to Jewish custom, thus helping boost institution's image in wake of sex abuse scandals
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, a renowned celebrity rabbi in the United States, met with Pope Benedict XVI recently and suggested the church promote family Shabbat dinners on Friday nights, similar to the Jewish custom.
The rabbi claimed it would be a good way for the church to re-establish its pro-family image which suffered blows following numerous sex abuse scandals.
The two spoke during a weekly reception at the Vatican.
Boteach said that his initiative would help the church demonstrate it is not only concerned with opposing same-sex marriages and abortions.
The rabbi noted that the Pope expressed interest in the concept and told him they would have to "work on it together."
Nevertheless, he did not commit to promoting the initiative. No official response was received from the Vatican on the matter.
After meeting with the Pope Boteach received an invitation to meet with Cardinal Walter Kasper, who is responsible for the Vatican's relations with the Jews.
During his meeting the rabbi harshly criticized the chruch for covering-up the sex abuse scandals.
