So, the pope walks into the synagogue...

...and I arrived there too late to see it.

The current pope, Benedict XVI, made a scheduled appearance at Rome's great synagogue this morning, described here:
http://saltandlighttv.org/blog/?p=9512
I only found out about it Saturday night, but apparently the Jewish community here has been arguing over the proposed event for quite some time. Leaders protested, but the rabbi of the great synagogue was still there to great him and participate in the show. Yesterday was chosen because it is both Jewish-Christian relations day and the Hebrew anniversary of the day the Italian government allowed Hilter into the Ghetto. Jewish and Christian sources reported mixed reviews. Here are some links:
Haaretz: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1143155.html
Christian perspective: http://saltandlighttv.org/blog/?p=9588

The event was called for 10:30, and I managed to wake up early (for a Sunday) and arrive at 10:27, security had already closed the doors at 10. Instead, I walked around the ghetto. Unfortunately I had left my camera at home, as the synagogue and Hebrew Museum don't allow cameras. As I entered the area, the first thing that struck me was an alley leading through the ghetto in which three windows had Israeli flags hanging from them. They were crinkled, as if they had been just pulled out especially for the purpose of showing solidarity on the meaningful day. The flags hadn't been there on the last time I was in the ghetto, on Thursday, but the Vatican's television trucks had already set up shop.

While church bells began to chime promptly at 10:30, the rest of the area seemed not to care about their very important visitor. Shops began opening, tourists and residents walked through the area, and people stood around to argue something about Me'ah She'arim, another Jewish ghetto.