Solar "Miracle" on Temple Mount During Pope's Visit is Fake

Michael Hesemann was an eye-witness: "I can assure you: All the time the Sun acted on as normal"! "Clearly a fake", the alleged photo is.kath.net interview by Petra Lorleberg

Jerusalem (kath.net / pl) On the Internet circulating a photo of the Western Wall with two suns. The alleged photo was created, it is claimed, while Pope Francis had during his Holy Land tour stopped in May 2014 in Jerusalem. Apparently there are people who think the photo is genuine. The historian and author Michael Hesemann was flown specially for the Pope's trip to Israel and stayed close attention to the time in Jerusalem, during which the alleged "sun miracle" would have taken place.

kath.net: Mr. Hesemann, you were an eyewitness: What exactly made ​​the sun during the Pope's visit to the Temple Mount?

Hesemann: Yes, I was during the Pope's visit to Jerusalem. Due to the high level of security and the fact that the press was not admitted to most events - only to encounter with the Ecumenical Patriarch in the Holy Sepulchre, I had access - I followed the Holy Father's visit to the Western Wall and Yad Vashem yet in the press, and then turning to use the time for a tour of Jerusalem. Of course, I also visited the Wailing Wall a visit, just hours after the Pope. Overall, I was from 11.00 bis 16.30 clock on the way, I went to the Pope's departure  at  Ben Gurion Airport.

And I can assure you:  All the time the sun behaved normally. 

 kath.net: Never the less there are allegations of a sun miracle.   What is it exactly and what proofs are given for this? 

Hesemann: Since Wednesday said photo was circulated (see the very bottom) on the Internet, it claimed two suns would have appeared at  14:30  in the sky over Jerusalem, was photographed and filmed. The "photographic evidence" shows the phenomenon over the Western Wall and the Mount of Olives. 

Yet I can prove to you that it is a montage. Because the Mount of Olives lies to the east, i.e.  where the sun rises.  The sun is only early in the mornings as low as it was in the photograph. At 14:30 clock it was already on the way to the west, so behind a person who photographed the Western Wall. At exactly 14:47 clock I was at the Western Wall and shot my own photos (photo below), of course with the sun behind.

 Second proof: When I started my pictures, there was a truck on the square in front of the Wailing Wall, in which the "remnants" from the Pope's visit were being cleared. This truck is not to be seen on the picture, reportedly taken 17 minutes earlier. Instead, the wall is lined with those praying. At 14.47 clock but the wall was almost empty, I prayed there at about 15:00, surrounded by perhaps a dozen Jews and tourists.

Conclusions: The photograph could never ever have been recorded on Monday afternoon, but probably at a Shabbat in the summer around 13:00 clock. How do I get it? The real sun - not the two assembled into "suns" - must have been high in the southern sky, showing the reflection on the golden Dome of the Rock, but also the narrow shadow of the Western Wall.  I guess the time at approximately 13:00 clock, as it applies in Israel, too, in the summer time. But this is also clear that the two "suns" were mocked by Photoshop in the image. 

Last Proof: It was a very clear day. Even the sun shone too bright to appear on a photo just as dull ball. 

Bottom line: Clearly a fake! 

kath.net: So this is a deliberate misinformation. Is it possible to make assumptions about the motives of those responsible?

 Hesemann: Check the source: The photo appeared on the Italian Fun Website "Corriere della Mattina", which brings some bizarre story every day. The day before they had claimed the European elections in Germany would have to be repeated because 15 million ballot papers were supposed to have been printed with  a swastika. And because there are no actual ballots  available, they took to illustration of a ballot from 2002 and painted a swastika on it.

On Tuesday they invented the story of the "sun miracle." So this is far from a credible source, that is, at best, satire, spoof of sensationalist tabloid journalism. In America, there is a little tradition of this, as there are entire newspapers that are full of invented sensational stories, like the "Weekly World News", and this website accepts this form of April Fool's day for an Italian audience. Whoever believes and does not see through is, are themselves at fault.

I do not see a different intention for this spoof from its  creators. 

kath.net:  It must be asked:  the faithful always meet again such statements, with a  spectrum which ranges from photos up to more or less meaningful prophecies. How can individuals orient, if he wants to be forfeited to either  blind credulity or even just blind addiction to criticism? 

Hesemann: Of course,   the followers of the  fall for the "Warning", seeing it as another "proof" of the equally absurd "prophecies" like the Irish PR-Lady Mary McGovern, who has just offered, seven billion Medals for euros each (cost price: a few cents) for sale. 

Since ice-cold profiteering mix with the miraculous is why I advocate for an adult faith, according to the counsel of St.. Paul: Test all things and hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Especially with claims of the supernatural should not dispense with his critical mind,  with the methods of science, as with  image analysis, factual, sober and an unprejudiced approach to the matter. So  the Church  often takes years to check an alleged miracle before they recognize it as "supernatural".

I in no way  reject signs and wonders, on the contrary, they have always been, since the early days of the Church. But I am against a blind wonder drug that readily  absorbs everything the serious rogue sources give, because this leads to an unhealthy sensationalism, a very superficial faith which needs every day to a new, bigger miracle to stay "exciting." 

This has nothing to do with genuine, deep piety, it degrades the work of God to mere entertainment and thrills. We always remind ourselves of the words of the Lord: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29) and we make our faith simply by not depending on visible proofs, otherwise it  soon leads into a crisis when a "miracle" again proves to be a hoax or deception.

 Above all, we must not allow ourselves to be misled by the false Prophet  Jesus already warned about: "For it is false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders in order, if possible, to even deceive the very elect." (Mt 24:24). 

So let us just not as easily led around by the horns! 

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Kath.net...

AMGD