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Pope welcomed to Rome synagogue despite tensions
Jan. 18, 2010
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Pope addresses gathering in Rome synagogue
Printer-friendly versionSend to friendPDF versionHeading into Pope Benedict XVI’s much-anticipated Jan. 17 visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome, one towering question loomed. What impact would the recent move towards sainthood for Pope Pius XII, the wartime pontiff whose alleged “silence” on the Holocaust has long fueled controversy, have on the broader Jewish-Catholic relationship?
In the wake of the visit on Sunday, two answers seem equally clear:
- One, fraternal relations between Jews and Catholic will survive the latest round of tensions over Pius XII, with the enthusiastic welcome given to Benedict XVI as proof of the point.
- Two, those tensions also aren’t about to disappear.
This was only the second papal trip to the Rome synagogue, after John Paul II’s groundbreaking visit in April 1986. Benedict was greeted warmly, including an emotional reunion with the former Chief Rabbi of Rome, Elio Toaf, who hosted John Paul twenty-four years ago.
The crowd featured a cross-section of Jewish, Catholic, Muslim and civil dignitaries, including a handful of Holocaust survivors in blue-and-white scarves, the colors of the Israeli flag. The small but growing Jewish community in Rome seemed visibly grateful for Benedict’s presence, giving him two standing ovations and interrupting his speech with applause nine times.
Benedict said his visit was meant to express “the esteem and affection which the Bishop and the Church of Rome, as well as the entire Catholic church, have towards this community and all Jewish communities around the world.”
The pope likewise affirmed the “irrevocable commitment” of Catholicism to dialogue with Judaism, condemned “the scourge of anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism,” and underscored the indelible memory of “the singular and deeply disturbing drama of the Shoah,” the Hebrew term for the Holocaust.
Yet there were also clear reminders of divisions over Pius XII. Pope Benedict recently approved a decree of heroic virtue for Pius XII, which permits him to be referred to as “venerable” and leaves only the documentation of one miracle for beatification and another for canonization.
“The silence of Pius XII on the Holocaust is still painful,” said Riccardo Pacifici, head of the Jewish Community of Rome, in his remarks to Benedict XVI.
“Perhaps he could not have stopped the trains of death, but he could have transmitted a signal, a final word of comfort, for our brothers on their way to the camps of Auschwitz,” Pacifici said.
Pacifici also called upon the Vatican to open its archives from the era of Pius XII. While the Vatican has already published multiple volumes of material which it asserts contain everything relevant to the pope’s conduct during the war years, other material has not yet been unsealed.
Rome’s Chief Rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, was more indirect, but no less clear in his reference to Pius XII.
“The silence of God about the evils of the world, or our inability to hear his voice, is an inscrutable mystery,” Di Segni said. “But the silence of man is a different matter. It confronts us, it challenges us, and it does not escape judgment.”
In his speech, Benedict XVI issued what amounted to a veiled defense of his controversial predecessor.
Benedict noted that the Nazi campaign to exterminate Jews reached as far as Rome, and conceded that “unfortunately, many remained indifferent.”
“But many, including Italian Catholics, sustained by their faith and by Christian teaching, reacted with courage, often at risk of their lives, opening their arms to assist the Jewish fugitives who were being hunted down, and earning perennial gratitude,” the pope said.
Benedict then added: “The Apostolic See itself provided assistance, often in a hidden and discreet way.”
It has long been a central contention among defenders of Pius XII that he was compelled to act behind the scenes to assist the victims of the Nazis, because public proclamations would have done more harm than good, triggering even more ferocious crackdowns.
A small number of Holocaust survivors from Italy's Jewish community were on hand wearing blue-and-white scarves. They presented the pope with a letter, which alludes to "the silence of those who could have done something" -- widely understood in the Italian media as a reference to Pope Pius XII, whose cause for sainthood was recently advanced by Benedict XVI.
This link takes you to an NCR translation of the survivors' letter, which was published in the Jan. 18 edition of Corriere della Sera, the main Italian daily: Holocaust survivors: 'Silence has marked our lives'
Whatever Roman Jews make of Pius XII, their gratitude for numerous Catholics who came to their aid during the Holocaust is still palpable. Pacifici, for example, whose grandfather was the Chief Rabbi of Genoa and who died at Auschwitz, said that he is alive today because other relatives were sheltered in a convent of the Sisters of Martha in Florence.
“This is not a unique story in Italy,” Pacifici said. “Numerous monasteries and convents risked their lives to save Jews.”
The polarizing nature of disputes over Pius XII was reflected not only inside the synagogue, but also in those who weren’t there. Rabbi Giuseppe Laras, President of the Italian Rabbinical Assembly, boycotted Sunday's visit in protest over the move towards sainthood for Pope Pius, which he charged is part a broader deterioration in Jewish-Catholic relations under Benedict XVI.
“During the current pontificate, the fraternal relationship (between Jews and Catholics) has become steadily weaker,” Laras told reporters in the run-up to the event.
Only the church “will draw any advantage” from the pope’s visit, Laras said, “above all its most backward circles,” while it “will not have a positive effect on Jewish-Catholic dialogue.”
Predictably, reaction to the synagogue visit was somewhat mixed.
Fr. John Pawlikowski, a veteran of Jewish-Catholic dialogue at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, said on Sunday that Benedict’s visit was “a positive step forward that has the potential to erase the negative developments during this papacy and restart a constructive discussion.”
At the same time, Pawlikowski also said that Benedict’s speech left several important matters hanging, including difficult theological questions such as the on-going validity of the Jewish covenant and the legitimacy of missionary efforts directed at Jews.
On Pius XII, Pawlikowski called for “fast-tracking the release of the relevant Vatican archival materials as well as a hold on any future movement on Pius’ canonization.”
German Cardinal Walter Kasper, the Vatican’s top official for relations with Jews, offered a largely sunny reading of the dispute.
“On Pius XII, we can have different opinions, and I’m sure we will have them,” Kasper said. “We’re two different communities, and it’s inevitable that there will be disagreements. There will always be some problem. But we also have many, many things in common. This visit should underline our common heritage and our common commitment to dialogue and peace.”
“In this world,” Kasper said, “we already have enough conflicts.”
Before arriving at the synagogue, Benedict XVI briefly paused at two memorials. One recalls the deportation of Roman Jews in October 1943, the other a terrorist attack on the synagogue in October 1982 in which 37 people were injured and one two-year-old boy was shot to death. The pope greeted members of the boy’s family.
While the move towards sainthood for Pius XII is the most recent sticking point in Catholic/Jewish relations, it’s hardly the only one.
Another is formed by the long-running negotiations between the Vatican and Israel over implementation of the 1993 Fundamental Agreement, which involves a cluster of thorny matters such as the tax and legal status of church properties, entrance visas for church personnel, and the capacity of chaplains in the military, prisons and hospitals to minister freely.
On that front, the Vatican drew support from a prominent Jewish source on Sunday. Rabbi David Rosen, a longtime veteran of Catholic/Jewish dialogue, told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that Israel’s behavior towards the Vatican has been “outrageous.”
“Any [other] country would have threatened to withdraw its ambassador long ago over Israel’s failure to honor agreements,” Rosen said.
Rosen also rejected suggestions that Catholic/Jewish relations have taken a step backward under Benedict XVI in comparison to his predecessor, John Paul II.
“Most people don’t know that almost every current problem in Vatican-Jewish relations began not with Pope Benedict, but with his predecessor Pope John Paul II, who is now seen as a saint by Jews,” Rosen said.
Benedict made the roughly ten-minute trip to the synagogue, which lies just across the Tiber River from the Vatican, on an evocative date. Roman Jews recall Jan. 17 as Mo'ed di Piombo, marking a day in 1793 when a massive rain, which tradition regards as miraculous, saved the Jewish community from a pogrom. A Roman mob at the time blamed the city's Jews for supporting the French Revolution.
Read more of John Allen's reporting here: A sampling of reaction to the pope's synagogue visit
It sounds like the Pope did
It sounds like the Pope did an admirable job, given the emotional situation. I see the Pope Pius XII situation as having a simple solution: The Vatican has said it will open it's WWII archives after they are properly cataloged (which they estimate will take five years). Let's put Pius XII's canonization on hold until that is accomplished and the results seen and evaluated by third party historians. Let's be truthful and open. There is no need to rush.
Dear Brother, you really need
Dear Brother, you really need to look at how the Vatican has operated throughout the ages in terms of secrecy with controversial materials.
" Pacifici also called upon the Vatican to open its archives from the era of Pius XII. While the Vatican has already published multiple volumes of material which it asserts contain everything relevant to the pope’s conduct during the war years, other material has not yet been unsealed." If you just look at Vatican policy vis a vis secrecy in the past 50 years, you will see a pattern of hide, elude, and stonewall. The war was over 65 years ago! How long does it take to find the relevant pieces of information and release them. For Americans, this is like asking Nixon what he knew about Watergate! Do you really think that Benedict [Nixon} is really going to give up the information that is relevant! Past practice is the best predictor of future behavior! Give us a break!
The rush by a number of
The rush by a number of Jewish groups to continue to criticize the Pope Benedict XVI's recent decision to declare Pius XII as venerable is rather somewhat confusing in light of the recent history of Israel.
Pius XII, who was the Pope of the Catholic Church before, during and after World War II, has been the subject of ongoing criticism by many Jews and non-Jews for his perceived relative silence about the fate of Jews under Hitler's policy of extermination. The Pope, isolated in the Vatican, is said to have used limited means to help Jews both in Rome and throughout Europe. Nevertheless, immediately after the war he was described as a 'righteous man' by the Jewish community in Rome and beyond.
Why aren't Jews condemning the then President of the USA prior to the American entry into the war? What did the Americans and other world leaders do to protest the horrendous treatment of Jews throughout Europe? Why is their silence acceptable?
The Jews who are currently criticizing the decision to declare Pius as 'venerable' can also stand to learn from their own history. During the Second World War, European Jews were among those rounded up and sent to ghettos, labour camps, and eventually extermination facilities. The Nazis did not hesitate to seize their land, their properties, their dignity and even their lives! Roughly 6 Million out of the 10 Million who died in the concentration camps were Jews! Others included gypsies, academics, homosexuals, the handicapped, priests, nuns, anyone who gave refuge to Jews, etc.
Unfortunately, many Jews around the world seem to have forgotten what it was like to be the subjects of occupation, to be displaced from their homes, their lands, their livelihoods, and their families! How is it possible to forget, to truly forget those horrors??? If Jews, who are complaining about Pius XII, truly remembered what their fellow Jews suffered during WW II, they would not tolerate or allow it to happen to others; nor would they even consider imposing these same conditions on others!
Yet, Israeli zionists seem to have learned well from the Nazis! They are inflicting the same horrors on Palestinians throughout the West Bank and, in particular, on those who live in Gaza! The so-called Security Wall has created real ghettos; passes are required to travel from one part of Palestine to another part of Palestine. Farmers cannot tend their crops; families cannot gather; even the water is being diverted from the Palestinians to the Jews who live in Israel or one of the multitude of settlements that planted themselves in the middle of Palestinian land.
The residents of Gaza are under a blockade by the Israelis. This blockade limits even the most essentials of life - food, medicine, fuel, water! Even life in Gaza is not considered safe from the bombing by the IDF in the name of self-defence!
Israelis need to truly remember their own history and not inflict it on others!
So, what does Pius XII and Gaza have in common??? Pius is accused of not doing enough to help Jews during World War II; he is accused of being 'too silent' in the midst of a process of genocide; yet, who among the Jews around the world cries out now for the Palestinians who suffer at the hands of the all-powerful Israeli state and the silence of the USA; the UN, and countless other leaders!
No, before one Jew criticizes Pope Pius XII, that person has an obligation to make sure that they don't condone it happening to anyone else, for any reason, at any time!
Are there no righteous Jews in all of Israel or the occupied territories???
Jean-Piere I agree with much
Jean-Piere
I agree with much of what you are saying, especially concerning Roosevelt, up until the Gaza statements, and your comparing of Israel and the Jewish people (Zionists?) to Nazis. My points:
1. The Holocaust of six million Jews, and millions of others such as the Roma, cannot be made equivalent to the Gaza operation. Period. The deliberate murder of an entire group of people is not the same as a military action deigned to remove destructive rockets, which can be condemned on its own merits. Let me ask you this - why did Israel stop the offensive when the rockets were destroyed? Surely if they were to seek the genocide of Palestinians they would have continued!
2. Arabs within Israel itself (the 67 border)- more than 20% of the population - have one of the highest standards of living in the middle east. They have the vote, seats in the Knesset, and total freedom of religion. They of course do not have full equality, they may not serve in the military. So let me ask you - if Zionists are the same as Nazis, where are the death camps in Israel itself? I am sure they would have been exposed by now don't you think?
3. There is substantial opposition to Gaza within Israel which, despite its failures, has freedom of speech. Take a look at Haaretz online (http://www.haaretz.com/), one of the largest papers in Israel, to see how much they are condemning this. How dare you make an accusation such as this without researching the facts beforehand?
4. I am an American Jew. I am not sure if I am a Zionist (I do not want to move to Israel myself and consider my nationality to be American, not Jewish but I support the idea of a Jewish state). But I am most assuredly a Jew. Now, I think you can guess my feelings about Gaza- although removing the rockets was justifiable, the Israelis overacted and caused far too much death and damage. Many Jews agree with me. You can check this out online - there are many Jewish publications taking this stand. You are very ignorant by not knowing this and condemning all Jews (Zionists) in your comment.
5. The left, primarily in Europe, has made the term "Zionist", clearly a code word for Jew, into one of the most hated terms in our time. Many who read this, and even some anti-Zionist Jews themselves, would approve of this. Yet, when asked what the difference is between a "Zionist and a Jew", the vast majority are unable to do so. Your writing is confused. You use the two terms interchangeably, therefore seeking the incitement of hated among Jews themselves which I believe is your goal.
I actually think that the Catholic Church does much good and is a friend of those that practice Judaism. I also think that Pope Pius actually did quite a bit of help for Jews behind the scenes, and that this is a matter for Catholics themselves to decide.
But after reading your anti-semitic tirade, I can think that many here would say this classic Jewish saying - "With friends like this who needs enemies?"
Mr. Abrams, Please forgive
Mr. Abrams,
Please forgive the delay in my response - it has been some time since I last visited this page.
First of all, let me clarify a few things for you:
1. I firmly believe in the right of the State of Israel to exist; and for it to exist in peace; I also believe in the right of the Palestinians to have their own viable and secure state:
2. I strongly condemn any attacks by either the Israel Defence Forces or the Palestinian extremists on civilian populations;
3. I do apologize for my lack of reference to those writers of Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post who have taken strong stands against the disproportionate response of the IDF upon Gaza and other occupied territories in the West Bank;
4. I admire Professor Noam Chomsky and others, like him, who have withstood criticism from others!
~~~~~
I will attempt to quickly answer some of your points:
1. Both the Israeli reaction and the Palestinian provocation have been condemned by the UN and numerous states around the world;
2. I do know the difference between most Jews and the fact that most are not Zionists...as I consider most Zionists to be extremists.Most Jews in Israel are not extremists. (From what I understand, the original meaning of Zionists were those individuals who fought and struggled for an independent State of Israel). Most Jews in Israel, like their fellow Semites - the Palestinians - want only peace and security for themselves and their families.
3. Question: and, I am be confused on this point - if the Arabs within the border of Israel have so many freedoms; then, why can't a Taxi driver (Jew or Palestinian) pick them up as passengers????? Things are not as rosy as you would have us believe for the Arabs inside of Israel.
4. We need to come to an mutual understanding of what a "ghetto" is! A walled compound with limited freedom of movement of peoples and goods????
5. While the lack of death camps, in the Nazi style, is not present - the blockade of Gaza and the Security Wall, with requirements for permits to travel, to work, etc. by a foreign occupier throughout out the West Bank makes for conditions of high unemployment, limited access to health care, education and so on! How can anyone justify a killing ratio of 10 to 1 as happened in Gaza???? Many of whom were civilians!
And, my final point...
6. The Western Media are so afraid of being labelled "anti-Semitic" we don't get the full story of what is transpiring in Israel and the West Bank. Please do not consider every criticism of Israel to be anti-Semitic. It is really and truly a unjust attempt to limit criticism.
Yes, I have been to Israel, and spent most of my time in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. I have compassion for both peoples - to me, it reminds of a large family feud!
Fraternally in Abraham....
Jean-Pierre
Thank you Jean Pierre. We do
Thank you Jean Pierre.
We do have some sticking points.
1. There is no law in Israel which says that Arabs cannot take taxis. I would guess that many Jewish taxi drivers are afraid to pick up Arabs because they are afraid of being blown up.
2. Of course Israeli Arabs suffer from forms of discrimination. This is a fact that the Israeli high court has investigated and called out (as much as one can condemn Israel it is hard to prove that it is not a working democracy, Arabs of course vote and have seats in the Knesset). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_citizens_of_Israel
But my stand remains- Israeli Arabs have one of the highest standards of living in the Middle East, attend Israeli Universities in huge numbers, and have religious and political freedom. Compare their state to the state of Christians living in Arab nations, and the few Jews remaining in countries like Egypt or Iran. I think even the most anti-zionist reader after some research would rather be living as a Muslim in Israel that a Christian in Egypt right now.
3. Granted, the Israeli action in Gaza to stop the rocket attacks. was brutal. 10 - 1 dead is a bad thing. As you yourself admit, many Jews in the United States and in Israel are opposed to this.
You compare Israelis to Nazis (see my point below on why you should not be doing so) for doing this. Now, do you also condemn the following nations for inflicting similar ratios on civilian populations and consider them to be Nazis. Please answer my question directly. Many more people were killed than 1000 here.
1. The United States in Hiroshima and Nagasaki- atomic bomb attacks (1945)
2. The United Kingdom in bombing Dresden (1945)
3. Russia in Chechniya in the 1990's
4. Sudan in Darfour in the past 10 years.
I can go on and on but as Golda Meir famously said, why is it that Jews are expected to act like the only true Christians in the world today.
4. I violently, as a Jew who lost a huge number of family in the holocaust, any comparison of myself, or the Jewish state, to Nazi Germany. Let's face it. Unless you are a holocaust denier, Jews suffered enormously under the Nazis. I do not need to go into detail here about this.
When one thinks of Nazis one things of gas chambers used to kill Jews and others, medical experiments, and some of the worst treatment of man by fellow man in history.
If you cannot provide proof that Jews are engaging in genocide of millions of Arabs in Israel and Palestine, you are engaging in anti-semitism by exclusively comparing the Jewish State to those who inflicted such death and destruction upon them. If you want to condemn this type of behavior, fine. But what you are doing is helping to build hatred of ALL Jews by uniquely comparing them to some of the worst killers in history, and making it impossible to walk around certain places as Jews in the world today.
I accuse you sir and others who think like you of gross anti-semitism. You are demonizing not only the State of Israel but all Jews with your accusations. You discount the horrors of the holocaust as a result.
Thank you Jean Pierre. We do
Thank you Jean Pierre.
We do have some sticking points.
1. There is no law in Israel which says that Arabs cannot take taxis. I would guess that many Jewish taxi drivers are afraid to pick up Arabs because they are afraid of being blown up.
2. Of course Israeli Arabs suffer from forms of discrimination. This is a fact that the Israeli high court has investigated and called out (as much as one can condemn Israel it is hard to prove that it is not a working democracy, Arabs of course vote and have seats in the Knesset). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_citizens_of_Israel
But my stand remains- Israeli Arabs have one of the highest standards of living in the Middle East, attend Israeli Universities in huge numbers, and have religious and political freedom. Compare their state to the state of Christians living in Arab nations, and the few Jews remaining in countries like Egypt or Iran. I think even the most anti-zionist reader after some research would rather be living as a Muslim in Israel that a Christian in Egypt right now.
3. Granted, the Israeli action in Gaza to stop the rocket attacks. was brutal. 10 - 1 dead is a bad thing. As you yourself admit, many Jews in the United States and in Israel are opposed to this.
You compare Israelis to Nazis (see my point below on why you should not be doing so) for doing this. Now, do you also condemn the following nations for inflicting similar ratios on civilian populations and consider them to be Nazis. Please answer my question directly. Many more people were killed than 1000 here.
1. The United States in Hiroshima and Nagasaki- atomic bomb attacks (1945)
2. The United Kingdom in bombing Dresden (1945)
3. Russia in Chechniya in the 1990's
4. Sudan in Darfour in the past 10 years.
I can go on and on but as Golda Meir famously said, why is it that Jews are expected to act like the only true Christians in the world today.
4. I violently, as a Jew who lost a huge number of family in the holocaust, any comparison of myself, or the Jewish state, to Nazi Germany. Let's face it. Unless you are a holocaust denier, Jews suffered enormously under the Nazis. I do not need to go into detail here about this.
When one thinks of Nazis one things of gas chambers used to kill Jews and others, medical experiments, and some of the worst treatment of man by fellow man in history.
If you cannot provide proof that Jews are engaging in genocide of millions of Arabs in Israel and Palestine, you are engaging in anti-semitism by exclusively comparing the Jewish State to those who inflicted such death and destruction upon them. If you want to condemn this type of behavior, fine. But what you are doing is helping to build hatred of ALL Jews by uniquely comparing them to some of the worst killers in history, and making it impossible to walk around certain places as Jews in the world today.
I accuse you sir and others who think like you of gross anti-semitism. You are demonizing not only the State of Israel but all Jews with your accusations. You discount the horrors of the holocaust as a result.
“Perhaps he [Pius XII] could
“Perhaps he [Pius XII] could not have stopped the trains of death, but he could have transmitted a signal, a final word of comfort, for our brothers on their way to the camps of Auschwitz,” Riccardo Pacifici said. This was the Pope, supposedly a symbol of Christ on earth, who refused to speak out loud about this mass murder that was in process directly below the window of his palace. The thought of Jesus remaining silent under such circumstances is not only repulsive but absurd!
Adding insult to injury: " Pope Benedict recently approved a decree of heroic virtue for Pius XII, which permits him to be referred to as 'venerable'"; that is not the word most Christians would use to refer to him! Pius XII apparently had about as much courage as most of us would have had under those circumstances. Hardly what could be called "heroic virtue". But then I'm not someone trying to keep alive the myth of a Pope being another "Christ on earth." From where I stand, Christ is still present on earth and we don't need to enshrine another human being in that symbol.
Jewish/Catholic common bonds
Jewish/Catholic common bonds need to be stressed. If you read the Pentateuch, you see many beliefs, sayings, traditions, etc. in the Catholic Church today. These need to be highlighted.
The Vatican is delusionary.
The Vatican is delusionary. They actually believe, in their unconscious, that they are infallible in all things. They never reverse their bad decisions even when they are wrong. Examples: promoting Cardinal Law, removing excommunication from those who deny the Holocaust, failing to recognize that child abuse is a world wide problem, not just a US problem, etc. There is no use talking to the Vatican after they make a decision. They just dig their heels in and maintain their position on Pius xii. And they can get away with this because they are a monarchy and nobody can remove them from power. They are divine right monarchs of the ultimate degree. A living dinosaur of an organization model. In my humble opinion, the source of all anti-semitism is found in the readings and teachings of the Catholic church during Good Friday and Palm Sunday. The passion plays and responses from people in the pews programmed by the Catholic liturgy of the day blames the Jews for Christ's crucifixion. This absurdity must be removed from the Catholic liturgy to reduce anti semitism. Yes, I am an Irish American Catholic with no ties to the Jews. But I can be objective about the failures of the Catholic Church. If only the Vatican could do the same.
"hey never reverse their bad
"hey never reverse their bad decisions even when they are wrong. Examples: ... removing excommunication from those who deny the Holocaust"
- So, what is he supposed to do? Excommunicate him again? Do you think it is possible to excommunicate someone for being an idiot? Are you that clueless as to what 'Excommunicate' actually means in the Catholic Church?
But what did our German Pope
But what did our German Pope think as he looked at these Holocaust survivors? Did he think back to the time that Pius XII signed a concordat with Hitler? Did he think that this would be forgotten? Did he think about the secret Vatican documents he could release tomorrow if he wanted to? If they are so innocent why not release them. Releasing them would be the real miracle. When he puts his head on his pillow and the lights are out do memories of his dark past flood his mind? Do the jack-booted SS guards appear in his dreams?
In my opinion "canonization"
In my opinion "canonization" is not so much a statement about the confirmation of "resting in the beatific vision" as it is about "messages". The canonization of Pope Pius XII is a wrong message. Undoubtedly, he was a good, holy man and is most likely "there". That's not the point. He verily seems to have quietly done many good deeds for Jewish people quietly, individually, using the Vatican resources. This is not the point. As Pope he had a public responsibilitty to all Catholics, to our "elder" brethern and to the world to s-t-a-n-d publically as a man who was the self-ascribed representative of Christ on earth against manifest evil.
The argument that it may have been made worse is moot. After 11 million deaths in a systematic campaign and so many others who dares define "worse". If the representative of the "universal church" stood, also,"maybe" decent people of all faiths in Germany itself would have refused to serve.
So what is the message?
What.s done is done. Silence
What.s done is done. Silence may well be the only prudent response to a ruthless dictator. But nontheless one feels that protest would have been better. It is easy for us, both Jews to condemn Pius 12, and Catholics to support him, from the comfort of our armchairs nearly 70 ears later, but it produces little worthwhile.
The same problem faced the Zimbabwean bishops in confronting Robert Mugabe. But it is surely now the right time to tell the world about that horrible man, excommunicate him rather than the supporters of women priests, and show that the bishops of Zimbabwe are not entirely guilty of the murders, rapes, beatings, lying propaganda, politicisation of police and army that ZANU-PF with Robert as its figurehead, wreaked upon the opposition in Zimbabwe.
I pray that someday the Jews
I pray that someday the Jews will forgive Catholics for the Holocaust and that Black Americans will someday forgive White Americans for slavery, even though most Catholics and most white americans had nothing to do with either. I live in the now and I wonder if Pro-abortion people will ever forgive Pro-life people for trying to save lives. The Jews will never accept Pope Pius XII as a saint or even a friend.
I am Jewish and lost half my
I am Jewish and lost half my mothers family in the holocaust. I do not need to forgive the Catholic Church for anything since they saved so many Jews (perhaps 800,000) during the war. I tend to agree with this Jewish lady who you might have heard of:
"We share in the grief of humanity…When fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the Pope was raised for the victims. The life of our times was enriched by a voice speaking out on the great moral truths above the tumult of daily conflict. We mourn a great servant of peace"
Golda Meir, Foreign Minister of Israel (then) in 1958, upon hearing of the death of Pope Pius.
The ADL does not speak for all Jews.
Jews and Catholics of good
Jews and Catholics of good faith will survive this current dust up over Pius. The integrity of Benedict is not in question, nor is the integrity of the Rabbis and Jewish community who greeted him with clear affection last Sunday. It is testimony to the strength of relations between Catholics and Jews that we are mature enough to agree on some things and disagree on others. That we disagree with respect and a willingness to listen to the concerns of the other is perhaps the most important indicator that relations are fundamentally sound. Nostrae Aetate continued a process that had begun years before when brave and courageous Catholics put into practice the words of Jesus. It remains for us who walk after them to continue to do the same. As for Pope Pius XII - let's wait for the war-time archives to be opened. There is no hurry. If God wants Pius declared a saint it will happen; and if he he doesn't, it won't. Simple.
Paul, as a Jew I agree with
Paul, as a Jew I agree with you.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, some Jewish organizations like the ADL are being too aggressive in telling the Church what to do when it comes to the beatification of Pius. This is a purely Catholic matter to decide.
I honestly think that Pius is being penalized here for not being more assertive enough in helping the Jews at a time when his flock in Europe was under Nazi domination; he had their well being to consider also. I though have much more outrage at Roosevelt who could have done a lot more than he did to save Jewish lives at less personal cost to Americans. And Pius did at least do something to help Jews when he could, which is more than can be said about many others.
In my years growing up in the United States I have found the vast majority of my Catholic friends, and several Catholic clergy members who I count as good personal friends to be accepting and supportive of my Jewish faith. I cannot say the same for for more aggressive Protestants fundamentalists who are intolerant of my faith.
Pope John Paul has already been "beatified" by (Jews do not have Saints of course) by Jews around the world for his love and concern for us and ability to reconcile all sorts of people. I think many Catholics would be amazed at the reverence Jews has for him Many Jews also know that much of the intellectual framework for Jewish-Catholic reconciliation was done by Benedict as Cardinal Ratzinger. Despite some unfortunate developments(such as the continuation of the Good Friday prayer in the Tridentine Mass condemning us and calling for our conversion), we also like Benedict as a friend - realizing that John Paul is a very hard act to follow.
May our love for each other continue.
Perhaps waiting to canonize
Perhaps waiting to canonize Pope Pius II might be a reasonable thing to do under these complex circumstances.
Perhaps not canonizing Pius
Perhaps not canonizing Pius XII is a better idea. In fact, let's stop canonizing altogether as it has become a meaningless political tool. The people of God know who the saints are and we don't need Vatican approval to call upon their memory and their intercession.
Why do people even care
Why do people even care whether or not Pius XII is canonized? Who prays to him anyway? Then you've got THAT group of catholics that really, just want this Pope to fail as they are still angr at him for something he did for JP II. The Pius XII 'controversy' is just a cause du jour thanks to the 'Hitler's Pope' book
I am Bro. Ed Loch and I did
I am Bro. Ed Loch and I did not post that comment. I am honored that someone would think that myname would bear such weight. I do have an opinion but I have never expressed it publically or even to my friends. I was born just about when Pius XII was chosen Pope and I knew people who were close to him but I never studied in depth this problem of Pius-Jewish relations. I only read the NCR in the paper format so I could not have made this comment.
Besides I spent most of my day at the doctor's and in shopping, not at the computer. Yours sincerely, Bro. Edward Loch, S.M.
Lest anyone forget, the
Lest anyone forget, the Catholic Church is made up of sinners, each and everyone. So was the Jewish faith which has its own track record of very bad choices such as the golden calf in the desert. Yet, G-d did not abandon his covenant with his “chosen people” nor will he abandon his vow to His Church that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against thee.” Yes, Vatican officials have sinned, but many others have been quite heroic. Yes, the Catholic Church has done harm in some profound ways such as the sex scandal cover ups, but the charity extended by this body over the centuries to the whole world needs to be honestly considered and acknowledged. For any man to reject Jesus because his Church has sinners inside is of no sensibility. The truth remains. Even those closest to Jesus contained a betrayer. Regardless if the Vatican could have done more or not in saving Jews during Hitler’s reign, it is quite obvious they were in a most difficult situation to do anything public with German occupation of their country and a Mussolini collaborator of Hitler’s running it. The Protestant churches in Europe were quite silent at the time. The leaders of the West (USA included) were quite openly reluctant to accept any Jewish refugees into their countries which to me is even more inexplicable. And yet, the world takes comfort in blaming everything on Rome.
While Pius XII's position on
While Pius XII's position on the Jews in Western Europe is still ambiguous, given the still-hidden Vatcian archives, his failure to act when Catholics, including priests even, personally murdered nearly 3/4 million Orthodox Serbs during the same war is quite open...
NO, the man did not exhibit the virtues in a heroic manner, rather less heroic than many laity for a start...
Dear readers of NCR: In all
Dear readers of NCR: In all these discussions about His Holiness Pius XII, why doesn't somebody write about the fact that the Rabbi of Rome, during WWII, asked to be baptized, because of the tremendous testimony given by the Pope to save Jews? Daaaaaaaaaaaa......
It is alarming and truly
It is alarming and truly frightening when any blog referring to Jesus Christ as not being accepted by observant Jews as the unique Son of God, part of the Triune God, is not published by NCR. Instead, secular Jews (the majority of 17 million Jews) still want to control our RC teaching, doctrine, dogma... whatever. Where are the truly observant Jews, ie, NOT the idolatrist (nationialistic Zionist), the ethnic Jew, the cultural Jew... Who claims to be a Jew nowadays anyway?
Whatever one thinks about
Whatever one thinks about Pius XII, this pope should NOT be the one to advance his case! Having this German former member of the Hitler youth take such a step sends the wrong message entirely. Benedict should stay as far away from this issue as possible.
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