Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Pius XII and the Jews

Looks like Cardinal Bertone is finally setting the record straight on Pope Pius XII...

The part that stuck out was this:

"Cardinal Bertone said the legend about Pope Pius' supposed "silence" during the war had its roots in the postwar period, specifically 1946-48, a time when the state of Israel was being formed and when the pope was calling for respect and justice for Palestinian residents of the Holy Land."

I'm surprised nothing was said about the propaganda that Radio Moscow was sending out about the Vatican shortly after the war. The Catholic League brings up a few good points about the relationship of the Vatican and the Third Reich during World War II.

Of course, I'm sure Abe Foxman will have a problem with this.

I don't have a problem with Jewish people. I've got good friends who are Jewish. I respect Judaism on the whole. But Foxman telling the Vatican to hold off on the canonization of a man who really was pontiff during a difficult time in the world, in a difficult place is just wrong. The ADL, like it or not, has no say in who the Catholic Church canonizes, and while I understand their concerns, perhaps Mr. Foxman needs to read the documents that have already been released before making any comments on a Faith about which he has no vested interest.

The Catholic League won't start making demands to the Jewish people on how to practice their Faith. What makes Mr. Foxman think he can do that to Catholics?

The bottom line is this: Many died during the Nazi Holocaust during World War II; Jews, Catholics, Polish dissidents, Gypsies, and many, many others were brutalized by an evil ideology, and nobody but nobody should have to ever deal with that kind of evil. But to have facts in front of you and to reject them based on your own prejudice is wrong too. Venerable Pius XII did everything he could to help the Jews during World War II, and had to do it on the down-low because it was critical to their survival.

I'm just kind of surprised that Mr. Foxman is going to take the word of Radio Moscow over the word of the Catholic Church herself.

ICTM,
Chuck, MI

1 comment:

Paul Nichols said...

Abe Foxman is just another anti-Catholic Steinberg. Why anyone takes that horse's arse seriously is beyond me.

But hey, they hate Christ, they should hate His Church too. It's when they stop hating us that we should be concerned.