The Kabbalist by Katz Yoram

Author:Katz, Yoram [Katz, Yoram]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Yoram Katz
Published: 2013-12-27T22:00:00+00:00

24. Brother Pedro – Stella Maris, Haifa, January 18th, 2006 (Wednesday)

“I am Brother Pedro,” said the young monk in the brown habit. “Father Rafael does not feel well today. Unfortunately, you will not be able to see him.” He spoke good English with a foreign accent.

“I remember you from that night,” said Danny. “I am here to complete a few details for our investigation. Perhaps you can help me.”

“I am not sure I am allowed to discuss this with you.” Danny felt the hesitation in the young man’s voice. “We usually leave the communication with the outside to Father Rafael.”

Danny tried the informal approach. “This is not official. I only need to fill in a few details. Whenever you feel you cannot answer, just say so, and I’ll understand.”

Brother Pedro was silent and looked confused. Danny hurried to put his foot in the small crack that opened up for him. “Did you know Father Fernando?”

“Father Fernando was my best friend here,” replied Pedro immediately without thinking.

“But he was many years your senior.”

The monk looked surprised. “What has age got to do with it? Father Fernando was a saint. He welcomed me here when I arrived from Brazil three years ago. He took care of me like a father, guided me in holy studies and also opened a window for me to worlds I never knew existed.”

“Really?” Danny displayed interest. “What type of worlds?”

“All men of the church I knew before him were good Christians. But Father Fernando was interested in much more than the Holy Scriptures…” He paused for a moment. “Don’t get me wrong. He knew the Scriptures better than anybody I had met, but he also had fascinating ideas about the links between Judaism and Christianity, ideas you don’t usually hear in the Catholic Church… he believed there was holiness in everything. Nature and science captured his imagination. However, most of all he was interested in history, mainly the history of the ancient land of Israel and the birth of Christianity. He had full command of ten languages, including Latin, Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic. He had a Ph.D. in history from Oxford.”

“Is that so?” Danny was genuinely impressed. “Is it common for monks to go to universities?”

“Well, it is done,” said Brother Pedro, “but they usually pursue religious studies and theology. Father Fernando was not an ordinary monk. Apart from the church, early Christian and Jewish history were his life. He once told me that he had joined the Carmelites in order to come here. He fulfilled a dream by serving in the Holy Land.”

“Was he in touch with academic life here?”

“Sure. He published articles once in a while, taught courses for post graduate students at the University of Haifa. He even guided one of the students through his doctoral thesis.”

“Do you happen to know the name of that student?”

Brother Pedro shook his head. “It was before I came here.”

He closed his eyes. Danny waited.

When the monk opened his eyes again they had a misty look about them. “Father Fernando was a saint and a genius combined in one man.

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