Chief Rabbi Yitzbak Nissim will not participate in the welcoming ceremonies in Israel in connection with the visit to be made here by Pope Paul VI on January 5, it was indicated here today by the Chief Rabbi’s office. The office said the Chief Rabbi will not go to Megiddo, where the Pontiff is scheduled to enter Israel from Jordan, and will not take part in the ceremonies scheduled here, when the Pope is to return to Jordan via the Mandelbaum Gate.
While the Chief Rabbi’s office declined further comment, it was indicated that Rabbi Nissim felt that his participation in the ceremonies could be only on the basis of reciprocity. This was taken to mean that Chief Rabbi Nissim would greet the Pope only if the latter would include in his itinerary a visit to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
(In Rome, today, Pope Paul said, in his annual Christmas message, that the purpose of his forthcoming pilgrimage to the Holy Land is “solely religious.” He stated he will greet not only Christians but also “those outside the fold of Christ, and our good intentions will embrace all the peoples of the earth, far and near.”)
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