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The Pope and perpetual outrage

Today Pope Benedict XVI visited the Rome's main Synagogue, an event which no reasonable person could find fault with surely?

Well no - Pope Benedict gets right up the noses of those with a Liberal bent and the story becomes not one of joint worship, rather - "Anger over wartime pontiff Pius XII overshadows Pope’s synagogue visit".

That is the Times' take and the usual suspects have a similar view. And indeed there are Jews who are upset about the current Popes moves towards beatification of his wartime predecessor.

Could have Pius XII done more to aid European Jews during the dark days of World War II? Possibly - but he didn't do nothing. Jews were hidden in convents, monasterys and even the Vatican itself with the Popes encouragement and blessing.

It is obvious to anyone with half a functioning braincell that that Pope had to walk a tightrope to negotiate the difficulties that that time presented to all statesmen

The sad truth is that many people behaved reprehensibly during World War II, and that there are many of us who could hold fast to grievances from that time, if we so choose but we recognize that doing so would not be helpful.

And that Pope Pius XII whatever his human failings were was not one of those whose actions were in any way reprehensible, rather he did his best in very difficult circumstances to stem the tide of inhumanity that was overwhelming Europe.

From where I sit the anti-Catholicism that drives this type of story differs only in degree from the antisemitism that provided the fertilization for the Holocaust.

So let's not forget the horrors of those days and lets keep the blame entirely where it belongs and not use it undermine the meeting of people of good will toward one another - such as Pope Benedict and Riccardo Di Segni, the Chief Rabbi of Rome.

Comments

  1. "From where I sit the anti-Catholicism that drives this type of story differs only in degree from the antisemitism that provided the fertilization for the Holocaust."

    Yes indeed, and just as irrational.

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  2. The liberal media outlets will always take pot shots at the Church and the Jewish lobby groups will always complain. Nothing will change this. Ever.

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  3. Pius XII a saint? What for? Saving the Vatican art collection from Herman Goering?

    If Pius XII had issued an encyclical calling for an admission of "the guilt with which the German people have burdened themselves through their support of Hitler's regime" or calling on all Catholics to resist Hitler "as leading the German people into the (moral) abyss" then faced the consequences, with the Swiss guard fighting to last man in the pews of St Peters and the Pontiff gunned down by the SS as he prayed for their forgiveness at the alter of his church then I say yup, make him a saint. Yesterday.

    Only he didn't, did he? Those words were penned by a mere 20 yeard old girl, a student, who willingly died a Christian martyr and in doing so showed true courage.

    Haven't seen the Catholic church falling over itself to beatify Sophie Scholl, although I think I know who Jesus would have preferred to hang out with.

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  4. Pius XII a saint? What for? Saving the Vatican art collection from Herman Goering?

    If Pius XII had issued an encyclical calling for an admission of "the guilt with which the German people have burdened themselves through their support of Hitler's regime" or calling on all Catholics to resist Hitler "as leading the German people into the (moral) abyss" then faced the consequences, with the Swiss guard fighting to last man in the pews of St Peters and the Pontiff gunned down by the SS as he prayed for their forgiveness at the alter of his church then I say yup, make him a saint. Yesterday.

    Only he didn't, did he? Those words were penned by a mere 20 yeard old girl, a student, who willingly died a Christian martyr and in doing so showed true courage.

    Haven't seen the Catholic church falling over itself to beatify Sophie Scholl, although I think I know who Jesus would have preferred to hang out with.

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  5. The victors write the history. You don't have to believe all of it.

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  6. As I said on a post on Kiwiblog, you weren't there, and I wasn't there, so what did the Jews of the time say? The praised Pius, both then and at his death. READ THEM

    The New York Times said on Christmas Day 1941 - The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness enveloping Europe this Christmas... he is about the only ruler left on the Continent of Europe who dares to raise his voice at all... the Pope put himself squarely against Hitlerism... he left no doubt that the Nazi aims are also irreconcilable with his own conception of a Christian peace.

    Rabbi Zolli, who also praised the Pope at that time became Catholic after the war.

    Chief Rabbi of Rome, Israel Zolli: “What the Vatican did will be indelibly and eternally engraved in our hearts....Priests and even prelates did things that will forever be an honor to Catholicism. Volumes could be written on the multiform works of Pius XII and the countless priests, religious and laity who stood with him throughout the world during the war. No hero, in all of history, was more militant, more fought against, none more heroic, than Pius XII in pursuing the works of true charity...and thus on behalf of all the people of God.”

    Former Israeli diplomat, scholar and Orthodox Rabbi, Pinchas Lapide: “The Catholic Church under the pontificate of Pius XII was instrumental in saving the lives of 850,000 Jews from certain death at Nazi hands. Then Pius XII deserves the forest in the Judean hills which kindly people in Israel proposed for him in October 1958. A memorial forest like those planned for Winston Churchill, King Peter of Yugoslavia and Count Bernadotte of Sweden, with 86,000 trees.

    I'm sorry, but those who criticize Pius are anti-Catholic and believe the lies about him, having made no effort to actually find out at all.

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  7. Haven't seen the Catholic church falling over itself to beatify Sophie Scholl, although I think I know who Jesus would have preferred to hang out with

    The fact that Sophie Scholl was a Lutheran might have something to do with that.

    And that is neither here nor there - the Roman Catholic Church has not canonized St Herman of Alaska either but he is recognized as a Saint by the Russian Orthodox Church.

    The Good Lord knows his own when it comes down to it, I am more than happy to leave it up to His judgement.

    When an individual is sanctified by the Church all it means is that that persons life and actions stand as worthy examples of Christian Witness for us to use as models to try and follow.

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