Apparently the Jerusalem Post is satisfied with the Pope’s statements:
Die „Jerusalem Post” ist zufrieden mit den Worten von Papst Benedikt zum Judentum und zum Holocaust. In einem Artikel mit der Überschrift „Die Entschuldigung des Papstes“ wird begrüßt, dass der Papst am Donnerstag vor einer jüdischen Delegation aus den USA die Nähe zwischen Christen- und Judentum bekräftigt hat. Allerdings mahnt die Zeitung, Benedikt müsse dafür sorgen, dass sich Probleme wie unlängst nicht mehr wiederholten. In dem Artikel wendet sich die Zeitung ausdrücklich gegen eine mögliche Seligsprechung von Papst Pius XII., den sie „Hitlers Papst“ nennt. – Die „Jerusalem Post“ hatte in einer ersten Reaktion auf den Williamson-Skandal einen unbefristeten Abzug des israelischen Botschafters vom Vatikan gefordert. (reuters)
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The turnaround of international opinion on this subject has been nothing short of miraculous. Was it the power of prayer?
Could indeed be prayer… or perhaps just that as facts became known, fewer people wanted to find themselves on the wrong end of the horse and have chosen a less hostile tone. Remember where the opposition really is coming from…which would be from the inside.
Jerusalem Post is satisfied with the Pope’s remarks
Well, I for one can now sleep easy tonight. Whew! Boy is that a load off.
Yes but: “In dem Artikel wendet sich die Zeitung ausdrücklich gegen eine mögliche Seligsprechung von Papst Pius XII., den sie „Hitlers Papst“ nennt.”
The same old ‘No beatification of Hitler’s Pope’-story!!!
Will they ever be satisfied? I think not.
Yes, but until the New York Times signs off, the Pope is not in the clear. Who cares if the people allegedly affected by this have accepted what
the Pope’s explanation? That’s not how things in lefty-world, a world of permanent indignation works! Tom
I find it astonishing and offensive that Christ’s Vicar should be obligated to kowtow to the international Jewry. I know they control finance, the media, etc., but still… What a huge change from the 19th century…
Eugene, first, “international Jewry” is only partly to blame here. The seeds were sewn right in our own home. So, your indignation is better placed among the leftist faction of your own church. Second, the pope didn’t NEED to do anything of the sort. But as the vicar of Christ, he certainly showed his colours in his majestic display of humility.
Yes, why do they have to attach the “Pius XII = Hitler Pope”-note to every statement they make? And how is it the Vatican’s problem if non-Catholics don’t want someone to be beatified? I’m all for dialog and respect and so on, but there’s got to be limits.
Can we find a different term than ‘International Jewry.’ After all, if we’re going to accuse /International Jewry/, the global conspiracy to dominate the world, of anything, why don’t we just throw in 9/11, etc.
… :P
The problem with throwing around terms like that is that some of us in the real world actually have Jewish friends who are pretty decent private citizens who pay their taxes and raise their kids like everyone else.
Unless they all have secret communicators… :P
“And how is it the Vatican’s problem if non-Catholics don’t want someone to be beatified?”
Well, because of course, if it weren’t for the “obstacle” of the possibility of Pius XII’s beatification, all of these folks would be signing up for RCIA to become Catholic immediately…
TheJP :” In 2007, Benedict moved to canonize Pope Pius XII (“Hitler’s pope”). Last year, he reintroduced the Tridentine Mass, which Nostra Aetate had rendered archaic: The Latin original contained a Good Friday prayer for the conversion of “the perfidious Jews.” Benedict’s revised version lets Catholic conservatives pray that God “remove the veil” from the hearts of Jews and end their “blindness.” ”
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304768182&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Honest to God, I thought the phrase being bandied around in several posts above was “International Jewelry”. My eyes are not too good these days! International Jewelry is a big place on U.S41 in Venice FL….was trying to figure out how they were connected to this.
They unfortunately can’t help but express their satisfaction by also taking a cheap shot at the blessed and dear memory of the Holy Father, the Venerable Pius XII. May the Church and the Pope NEVER give in to political and external pressures by failing to soon proclaim him what in life he always was, a SAINT! Ora pro nobis Sancte Pater!
I’ll sleep better at night knowing this.
Pius XII Santo subito
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304768182&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Is this the editorial that the German story is talking about?
TJM wrote:
Yes, but until the New York Times signs off, the Pope is not in the clear.
For what it’s worth, the Times has pretty much signed off on this: “Pope Condemns Holocaust Denial”. The article speaks favorably of the pope’s comments of February 12. It seems to imply this was the first time the pope has addressed the issue, and says nothing about his statement of January 28 or the Vatican statement of February 4. Still, it seems to have the tone of “sufficit”.
Of course I know your comments were tongue-in-cheek….
” He then repeated, verbatim, the prayer Pope John Paul offered when he visited the Western Wall in 2000 and asked the Jews to forgive the Christians who had persecuted them over the centuries. Benedict ended: “I now make his prayer my own.”
We welcome this reiteration of the late pope’s entreaty. Still, as the Holy Father may know, in Jewish tradition, absolution requires not just the confession of a sin, but its cessation. “
“Is this the editorial that the German story is talking about?”
Maureen, I think so.
Could it be that the Pope is doing all this “for fear of the Jews”? Is he running from the wolves, I wonder?
“The same old ‘No beatification of Hitler’s Pope’-story”
Indeed. I’ll defend Pius XII any day of the week. This passage rings of bigotry: “In dem Artikel wendet sich die Zeitung ausdrücklich gegen eine mögliche Seligsprechung von Papst Pius XII., den sie „Hitlers Papst ‘nennt.'” I blame it on Hitler’s Pope and on Hochuth’s “The Deputy”, launched by Communist Russia.
I happy that they are satisfied because we Catholics are not anti-Semitic.
The story that somehow Pius XII did not help the Jewish people during the Holocaust is a fantasy created out of wholecloth. I recall there was a scholarly article some time back which pretty effectively debunked the whole thing. The article I read indicated that the slandering of Pius XII in this regard started with a play called the “Deputy” in the early 1960s. I believe the “author” was a communist or a communist sympathizer with an axe to grind. I heard at one point that Pius XII was considered one of the “righteous” by the Israelis for his efforts on behalf of the Jewish people. Tom
Abe Foxman on the other hand is “not satisfied”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1064000.html
Is anyone surprised?
Will he ever be?
Pius XII Santo subito!
Eugene, You don’t like Jews very much, do you? Have you ever thought that that sort of attitude might be uncharitable, unChristian, even?
Does the Holy Father need an okay from the Deseret News too??
“We welcome this reiteration of the late pope’s entreaty. Still, as the Holy Father may know, in Jewish tradition, absolution requires not just the confession of a sin, but its cessation.”
OK, I’ll bite. Show me how the pope is currently persecuting the Jews.
Personal Aside: Anyone else with a working knowledge of German get the feeling that the writer of the article(or translator) is a native speaker of English?
Regarding Pope Benedict XVI, the Jerusalem Post article declared: “Last year, he reintroduced the Tridentine Mass, which Nostra Aetate had rendered archaic:”
Jews believe such nonsense as they have been fed for years such nonsense by Catholics involved in Catholic-Jewish interreligious “dialogue.”
An example: Eugene Fisher, the retired “expert” on Catholic-Jewish relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, declared several years ago that the Novus Ordo Good Friday Prayer for the Jews is the “only official” Good Friday prayer for the Jews that is offered by the Catholic Church.
Just prior to Summorum Pontificum’s release, I contacted Eugene Fisher to ask why he conveyed that error to Jews. I stated that the Good Friday Prayer for the Jews had, for example, been offered for years during Pope John Paul II’s reign…and that said liturgy was an “official” prayer of the Church.
Eugene Fisher informed me (just prior to Summorum Pontificum’s release):
1. That he had fed correct information to the Jews.
2. That the Traditional Good Friday Prayer for the Jews was not an “official” prayer of the Church…that the Novus Ordo Good Friday Prayer for the Jews was without question the Church’s only authorized prayer for the Jews.
Is there any question as to why many Jews reacted with rage when they learned via Summorum Pontificum that the Novus Ordo Good Friday Prayer for the Jews was not the only official prayer for the Jews?
Catholic “experts” who have “dialogued” for years with Jews have fed a tremendous amount of errors regarding the Catholic Religion to Jews.
Jews had assumed for decades that the TLM had been outlawed by Rome.
Jews had assumed for decades that the Catholic Church had ceased to pray for the conversion of Jews.
Jews had assumed for decades that Vatican II had overthrown the Church’s traditional teachings.
Jews had assumed for decades that they had been fed correct information regarding the Catholic Religion by Catholic Churchmen and Catholic interreligious “experts.”
The bottom line is that more than 40 years following Vatican II, Jews are just as confused as Catholics are regarding the Church’s teachings, particularly teachings that regard the Jews.
Mass confusion reigns within and without the Church regarding our religion. Only the Pope can end the incredible confusion that has engulfed the Church during Her post-Vatican II years.
The news reports say that 60 American Jewish leaders met with the Pope on Thursday. On a Catholic site, I read a fascinating explanation as to why the Jews numbered 60 representatives. Is anyone familiar with Jewish teachings on the mystical meaning of the number 60?
I have read, and highly recommend, Salvation is From the Jews, by Roy Schoeman, and Hitler, the War, and the Pope, by Ron Rychlak. These books clear up a great deal of confusion.
Mark:
The number 60 does have significance for our Jewish friends. See this link:http://www.asktherabbi.org/DisplayQuestion.asp?ID=68. However, in this instance, I tend to think that it is a fluke.
“The number 60 does have significance for our Jewish friends. However, in this instance, I tend to think that it is a fluke.”
It wasn’t a fluke, according to Rebbe (Grand Rabbi Y. A. Korff), spiritual leader of the Zvhil-Mezbuz Beis Medrash of Boston and publisher of The Jewish Advocate.
Eugene Fisher did all that Robert? WOW
i’m tired of this two-covenant theology nonsense. there’s only one covenant and that’s Jesus’ death on the cross.
For those unfamiliar with Israeli news, Jerusalem Post is one of the conservative papers. Haaretz is extremely liberal. I think this is relevant in looking at the different reactions found in the two, and the voices each wants to give to the reaction, and the opinion they want to generate of Pope Benedict. That is, the conservatives are, at least, appreciative of the reality of the Williamson situation, while the liberals most certainly are not (see Fr Z’s post on the latest ravings of Foxman, for that). There’s nothing new with that picture!
I think that Williamson is more than a distraction, and I am distrustful of the SSPX in general, and Williamson in specific.
THAT SAID, our Pope has been CRYSTAL CLEAR on his stance and his defense of truth. Our Pope has done NOTHING WRONG, and there is more to the continued assault on him from certain sectors of the Jewish and secular press than meets the eye.
There are some who know full well the truth, that the Pope has been dedicated to fighting anti-semitism and hate his whole life, and that he remains so; however, they are pursuing an agenda contrary to the Pope and they are using Williamson as a stick to beat the Pope with.
That is awful.
Too much dialogue about dialogue. Another 40 years of “Dialogue” will not change the fact that Jesus Christ is God, that he founded the Catholic Church and that the Pope is His Vicar on earth.
When the conversation turns each time to that of the loss of Jewish lives at the hands of the Nazi’s when are we Catholics going to say : What about all the Catholics who were murdered too? How about the priests, nuns, professors, lay men and women – some more well known to us than others, e.g. St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Edith Stein. Thousands of innocent lives, including Romanies, the disabled, the handicapped, were also taken besides the Jews. Let us not forget them all as though they never existed. Lord have mercy on all their souls.
“When the conversation turns each time to that of the loss of Jewish lives at the hands of the Nazi’s when are we Catholics going to say : What about all the Catholics who were murdered too? How about the priests, nuns, professors, lay men and women – some more well known to us than others, e.g. St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Edith Stein. Thousands of innocent lives, including Romanies, the disabled, the handicapped, were also taken besides the Jews. Let us not forget them all as though they never existed. Lord have mercy on all their souls.”
Abe Foxman of course says that the killing of Catholics never happened. He didn’t use those words specifically, but he said that mentioning the other victims “cheapens the unique Jewish character of the Holocaust.”
Bishop Williamson is guilty of no more than expressing a personal opinion on a secular matter. The outcry for his head is simply an attempt, and a very successful one, by the enemies of the traditional Faith to have antipope Benedict bow and grovel before them, as he was certain to do. Likewise, Bishop Fellay and Fr. Schmidtberger, of the SSPX bow and grovel before Benedict.
Bishop Williamson is guilty of no more than expressing a personal opinion on a secular matter. The outcry for his head is simply an attempt, and a very successful one, by the enemies of the traditional Faith to have antipope Benedict bow and grovel before them, as he was certain to do. Likewise, Bishop Fellay and Fr. Schmidtberger, of the SSPX bow and grovel before Benedict.
Comment by Michael Reardon
Why do you think BXVI is an antipope?
Benedict is a heretic in both word and action. He has done things that the martyrs went to their deaths rather than do, such as his entering a Mosque, taking his shoes off and assuming the prayer mode of a Muslim. He has visited synagogues and taken an inferior position. He accepted the symbols of false religions on his visit to the U.S.A. He described a mountain in Japan on which sat a Buddha monastery as “sacred.” He is against the “ecumenism of the return,” that is, he sees no need for Protestants to convert to the Catholic Faith. He promotes religious liberty and false ecumenism, things always condemned by the true Church. Benedict is a Modernist who, like the other Conciliar “popes” reigns over the complete collapse and destruction of the Church within its official structures. To you I would highly recommend Dr. Droleskey’s excellent website, in my opinion the best thing on the internet, at http://www.christorchaos.com
It is scary to say the least to agree with Reardon true though true it may be. It is safer to take the route of the NO even though it is going down to its ruins in flames. Consider all the so called ‘trads’ who don’t want you to say anything against Joe Ratzinger but are willing to through all his appointees and cardinals and bishops to the wolves as if Ratzinger had nothing to say about it. They clamor for the apology of the Catholics. How about the apology of the Jews the Muslims and the holocause of the childer to the tune of about 4000 lives a day?
It is with great sadness that I, as a Catholic, watch the spectacle of Benedict, true Vicar of Christ on earth, nearly grovelling at the feet of those whose hatred of Christ is, let us be frank, fairly obvious. It is sickening beyond belief. This “fear” that Peter has of those who hate the Christ and His Church is quickly approaching the irrational.
Bishop Williamson’s speculations, a minor kerfuffle if ever there was one, has been allowed by the Holy Father to grow into this worldwide dog and pony show which he could have put a stop to instantly had he the backbone to do so. But instead he continues the disastrous, suicidal policies of his predecessor and begs forgiveness of a people whose own past is hardly the model of moral rectitude. Their role in the subjugation of Russia in the recent past is well known, as is their current subjugation of the Palestinian people, an injustice which cries to Heaven for vengeance (and one which receives scant notice from today’s Vatican). Yet the Pontiff treats them as if they were somehow an immaculately conceived people. This is just simply disgusting.
We must continue to pray for Benedict, first and foremost that he develops a backbone. While I can heartily applaud some of the wonderful things he has done as Pope that cannot blind me to this ongoing disaster of his humiliating himself and God’s Church before the once-chosen people. I don’t know the exact number of Jews who suffered under the Nazis, nor do I know the exact number of people murdered by Mao, or Stalin. But if one wishes to speculate on the exact numbers of the victims of these crimes one shouldn’t have be harassed by an international herd of swine bent on destruction. I personally wish Bishop Williamson would confine himself to doing what Bishops are supposed to be doing: getting non-Catholics (Muslims, Jews, Protestants, etc.) into the Church, their only hope at all of salvation, and leave political speculations to others.
Let this grovelling be ended now, once and for all. It is for others to beg forgiveness of the Church, not the other way around. And let us stop this contrived international hoopla from doing what it is so effectively doing: stopping the mission of the Church to bring the unbaptized and the unbelievers into the one (and only) Ark of Salvation. We are not doing our Jewish friends any service by hiding this truth from them.