[Gocamino] Rabbi to Bishop..Mary's cousin?

[Rosina]

Hello you all,
Not far from Burgos there is Olmillo de Sasamon, a town with facilities for pilgrims which was founded in the 14th century by the then bishop of Burgos, Pablo de Cartagena.

This personage had been born Salomon ha Levi to a wealthy Jewish family. Highly educated, he was a member of a close-knit group of Jewish intellectual of great prominence at the time, many of whom were personal advisors, physicians or financiers to the Kings of Castille. (And/or to the Moorish Caliphs).

Salomon ha Levi was the head rabbi in Castille in 1391, the year in which Saint Vincent Ferrer organized a movement to free Spain from Moors and other non-Christians who were given the choice of conversion to Christianity or exile. Salomon ha Levi, already the father of several children, became a Christian, adopting the name of Pablo de Cartagena and in a short time became active in the Avignon where Cardinal Pedro de Luna (the future Pope Benedict XIII) took him under his wings.

A widower at the time, Salomon became a priest and was later elevated to Bishop by his protector.  Upon his death he was succeeded as Bishop of Burgos by his son, Alfonso who had followed him into the priesthood.

Both bishops adopted as their symbol the Fleur de Lys, and claiming ancient family kinship with the Virgin Mary during their time as bishops they awarded special indulgences to all those who recited the second part of the Ave Maria saying: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, and cousin of his Excellency, our Bishop, pray for us……..”

Oh, well!

Hugs!

Rosina