A Catholic aquaintance just couldn’t believe that L’Osservatore Romano, a Vatican newspaper, could have been so obtuse and mean-spirited as to criticize Israel for offering IDF field hospitals to Sri Lanka.
She was right. Catholic World News has run a retraction. In fact, the paper criticized Sri Lanka for spurning the aid offered by Israel! The Vatican paper was in fact complimenting Israel, and attacking the small-mindedness of the Moslem forces within Sri Lanka that militated for a refusal of an Israeli presence.
Given that world media stayed away in droves from the story of Israel’s quick and generous offer, the Vatican’s getting it right and broadcasting it should be noted by us with appreciation.
[...] used it…. Rest easy, it might have all been a translation error. Meryl Yourish and Rabbi Yizchok Adlerstein are reporting that the Catholic World News is retr [...]
Makes sense. This Pope is no antisemite.
I, for one, am very happy that blogging lets us publicize the mistranslation so quickly — and am even happier that the translation was wrong!
Dear Rabbi Menken,
I have been a reader of your blog for some time and appreciate it! I saw the comments that you deleated. I have a question for you that I would rather E-mail directly to you and not post on this blog as it probably constitutes loshon horah. But I believe it is important. Is there an E-mail adress where I can write to you directly?