Cardinal Connection

Cardinal Martini’s account of his personal thoughts while walking on the Temple Esplanade are worldly and profound. He readily acknowledges that there are “so many memories are linked to [the Temple], and so many momentous events in the history of diverse religious traditions are remembered there, that naturally gives rise to many different recollections” (375).

That being said, Cardinal Martini is a Christian (duh), so his conscious thoughts center around the profound impact the Temple has had on Christianity. Abraham’s sacrifice of his only child, David’s joy in bringing the Cark of the Covenant to the Mount, King Solomon’s prayer at the consecration of the Temple, for example, are all stories the Cardinal’s mind flashes back to (376).

He imagines Mary and Joseph standing in line outside the Temple, cradling a baby Jesus, waiting to devote him to their Lord. He imagines these people, unaware of the magnetism and importance of the baby in their arms. The Cardinal also imagines Jesus’s encounter with the woman at the well, how it would have looked, played out, and the gravity of his words to her. He envisions a would Jesus told of, a world in which the Temple will cease to exist, as followers of the Lord will worship in spirit (376).

Not stopping there, the Cardinal’s mind is racing with the thought of Paul coming to the Temple, knowing he was risking his life- and he nearly lost it. Cardinal Martini envisions his imprisonment, and the courage and devotion Paul exhibited whilst bearing witness to his faith in Rome before multiple tribunals (377).

The Temple, to Cardinal Martini, is one of the most coveted and ravaged spots on Earth, strewn with great tragedies. He thinks about the Romans, Persians, Arabs, Crusaders, Mamluks, and Ottoman Turks. He thinks about all people who were willing to risk it all, even their lives because they felt they had a claim to Jerusalem and her contents. The Cardinal has a deep understanding of the facts that the Temple, the Haram al-Sharif, is vital to so many people from such diverse religions, and he purports that mutual respect is vital, is the only option (377).

Although just one account, and although obviously and heavily biased by Christianity, Cardinal Martini’s thought process is interesting and important. Interesting, as to a non-religious reader like myself, it sheds insight on just how deep connections to these places run for certain people. For this reason, it’s also very important, as even he cardinal recognizes that he’s not the only one with such a profound sense of connectedness to the city of Jerusalem. It’s challenging to have such a small place being coveted by so many, but Jerusalem has stood for thousands of years, despite it all.