On July 31, 2000, Pope John Paul II knighted a New York Jewish businessman, Gary Krupp, as a Knight Commander of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St Gregory1 for his work in acquiring high-tech medical equipment for the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza. Home for the Relief of Suffering is a major research hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, founded by Saint Pio of Pietrelcina and opened in 1956. It is a leading Scientific Hospitalisation and Treatment Institute (IRCCS) recognised for advanced research in genetics and regenerative medicine.

Historically, Mr Krupp then became the seventh Jewish man in history to receive such a distinguished honour.

Providentially, however, Gary Krupp was raised in rank to Knights Commander with a Silver Star by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007, and in 2018, Gary and Meredith Krupp were raised to the highest rank of Knight and Dame Grand Cross in the Order of Saint Gregory the Great by Pope Francis. This historic event was celebrated at the residence of the Apostolic Nuncio to the United Nations, Archbishop Bernadetto Auza, in New York City. This was to be the first time in history that a Jewish woman was knighted to this high honour and the first time a husband and wife received this honour together.

Recognising the unique position as a Jewish member of the papal household, bridging Jews and Catholics and Vatican-Israeli relations, Mr Krupp acted on a request of a group of rabbis to visit the Vatican Library to allow them to view the manuscripts of Moses Maimonides. This request was granted, and in 2002 he brought a delegation of 39 religious Jewish leaders to the Vatican Library for a historic viewing of these manuscripts. Because of this unique success, Mr Norman Weisfeld, who funded this mission to the Vatican Library, decided to form a 501(c)(3) tax-free foundation, which is how Pave the Way Foundation (PTWF) started on our historic path.

In November 2004, Pope John Paul II returned the relics of St John Chrysostom and St Gregory Nazianzen to the Eastern Orthodox Church, specifically to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Istanbul, Turkey. Mr. Krupp watched these events on television and commented to himself that no one publicly thanked the Pope for this gesture.

Mr. Krupp firmly believed that the Jewish people and the state of Israel should thank Pope John Paul II for normalising diplomatic relations with the State of Israel and his definitive condemnation of antisemitism as a sin against God and the Roman Catholic Church.

Krupp contacted then the nuncio to the United Nations, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, and asked him if PTWF could bring a Jewish delegation to meet with H.H. Pope John Paul II to personally thank him for his positive impact and statements for the state of Israel and the Jewish people.

The nuncio told Gary that meeting with the Holy Father is most likely not possible because the Pope is not well. But then, Mr. Krupp was called by the Archbishop Migliore, who said that the Pope had personally requested the meeting and asked if January 18, 2005, would be suitable.

Mr Krupp met with Fr Norbert Hofmann, vice president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, to finalise these arrangements.

Mr. Krupp invited 168 Jewish leaders and directors of the Pave the Way Foundation from around the world to attend this historic event. According to Mr Krupp, the Vatican told him it was the largest private Jewish audience in history to meet with a sitting pope, and it was historic. Mr. Krupp jokingly responded that this meeting was also historic because a reform, orthodox, and conservative rabbi came together in the same room to do the same thing.

The three rabbis who blessed the pope were on Mr. Krupp’s advisory board: conservative Rabbi Barry Dov Schwartz, reform Rabbi Jack Bemporad and Orthodox Rabbi Benjamin Blech.

Mr. Krupp commented that when he stood next to the pope, as the three rabbis blessed him, he noted that the pope had tears in his eyes. Sadly, this was to be the last major audience of his Holiness, who succumbed to a flu that he contracted from a visit of British children.

In his speech of gratitude to the pope, Mr Krupp noted that the pope had closed the historic circle when he initiated the visit to the great synagogue of Rome. He also stated the Pope’s visit to the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, profoundly moved us. Mr. Krupp recalled the enormous gesture when the Pope placed his prayer for forgiveness in the Western Wall. Meredith Krupp, cofounder of Pave the Way Foundation, was deeply moved when Pope John Paul II referred to us as his beloved elder brothers.

Such enormous gestures were heralded by the media worldwide. The text and the news of this event were internationally noted in all major newspapers.

References

1 Knighting Ceremony of Gary Krupp August 2001.
Gary Krupp Remarks to the Pope John Paul II.
Pope John Paul II Welcomes Pave the Way Foundation.