“The pope can’t mention everything every time he speaks,” said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, responding to criticism of Pope Benedict XVI’s speech at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem. The German born pope never mentioned the words murder or Nazi, and expressed no remorse for the role of the Catholic church during the Shoah. (See video of the speech in English language).
He also did not mention his recent rehabilitation of Holocaust-denying bishop William Richardson. (See Pope Apologises for Rehabilitating Holocaust-denying Bishop)
Nor did he mention his membership in the Hitler Youth, and in the Nazi military. When questioned about it, Lombardi at first denied the pope’s membership in Hitler Youth. Maybe someone told the Vatican’s spokesman that the pope wrote about it in his autobiography, Milestones, because later Lombardi conceded that it was true. At that time, he said participation was forced upon the young Benedict, who was then known as Joseph Ratzinger. (See Israelis Criticize Pope for Holocaust Remarks)
What the pontiff did mention was his support for Palestine. During his visit to the Middle East, he met with Palestinian President Mahmaud Abbas, and pledged Vatican support for Palestine. He also expressed his prayer that Israel will remove the barrier in the West Bank, which was erected to protect Israelis from rocket fire.
In Manger Square in Bethlehem, crowds met the pope with chants of “Long Live the Pope,” and “Long Live Palestine.” Israel, which supports religious freedom, had granted about 100 Palestinian Christians living in the Gaza strip permission to travel to Bethlehem for Mass. (See Pope Pledges Support for Palestinian Statehood)
Also not mentioned: the Arab world’s policy of insisting that Palestinians remain stateless refugees as long as Israel exists. (See The Palestinian Refugee Issue)
The current pope’s behavior is in stark contrast to the life of Pope John Paul II, who left a prayer at the Western wall, apologizing for Christian Antisemitism throughout the years. John Paul worked to break down barriers between Christians and Jews, referring to Jews as “elder brothers” in the faith. (See A Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People)
Copyright 2009, Kathryn A. Frazier http://PreciousHolidays.wordpress.com
Filed under: Antisemitism, Christian, Christianity, faith, Holocaust, Interfaith Relations, Judaism, Persecution, Pope, Religion, Shoah Tagged: | Christians, Gaza, Hitler Youth, Holocaust, Israel, Jews, Joseph Ratzinger, Mahmaud Abbas, Nazi, Palestine, Pope, Pope Benedictine XVI, Pope John Paul II, Shoah, Vatican, Yad Vashem
I think the pope should keep his nose out of politics.
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