Jewish Popes?

That's the premise of this story from freelance writer Herb Geduld for the Cleveland JewishNews.com.

Here's one sampler:

Almost 1,000 years later, the first cardinal of acknowledged Jewish descent, Anacletus II, was elected as pope in 1130 by a majority of the College of Cardinals. Anacletus II, whose original name was Pietro (Peter) Pierleone, was the great-grandson of a Roman Jew, Baruch Pierleone, who with his entire family had converted to Catholicism 100 years earlier on Easter of 1030. Baruch took on the not-so-new name of Benedictus Christianus.

This is another indicator of how wise John Paul the Great's assessment of the Jewish people. When he called them our elder brothers in the Faith, he surely had Paul in mind, who said:

16
3 If the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch of dough; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place and have come to share in the rich root of the olive tree,
18
do not boast against the branches. If you do boast, consider that you do not support the root; the root supports you.
19
Indeed you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
20
That is so. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you are there because of faith. So do not become haughty, but stand in awe.
21
For if God did not spare the natural branches, (perhaps) he will not spare you either. (Romans 11:16-21)

Our Faith only makes sense because of the Jewish faith. Pope John Paul the Great understood this. Pope Benedict XVI appears to believe it as well, judging from some of his writings here. At the end of the day, we are brothers. Hopefully, we can consistently act like brothers. And not Cain and Abel, at that.