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Posted on 05/13/2009 2:42:25 PM PDT by NYer
JERUSALEM, MAY 12, 2009 (Zenit.org).- A Vatican spokesman is clarifying that young Joseph Ratzinger's mandatory enrollment with Hitler's youth organization "had no role in his life."
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, responded to a flurry of criticism that arose in the Israeli press after the Pope's visit Monday to the Yad Vashem.
Among the issues dredged up was Joseph Ratzinger's relationship with the Nazis. Even an Israeli government official was quoted as making much of the Holy Father's nationality: "The Pope [at Yad Vashem] spoke like a historian, as somebody observing from the sidelines, about things that shouldn't happen. But what can you do? He was part of them," said Parliament speaker Reuven Rivlin.
Others took issue with the Pope having used the word "killed" instead of "murdered," and other similar points.
This led Father Lombardi to say at a press conference today in Jerusalem, "I have read something that is not true. The Pope never, never formed part of the Hitlerjugend, which was a corps of fanatic and ideological volunteers."
The spokesman later clarified his own statement because the Pope's enrollment in the Hitler Youth was explained by Joseph Ratzinger himself in "Salt of the Earth." There he says he was automatically enrolled in the organization, though he did not participate in it.
In the book, Cardinal Ratzinger explains: "Q: Were you in the Hitler Youth?
"A: At first we weren't, but when the compulsory Hitler Youth was introduced in 1941, my brother was obliged to join. I was still too young, but later, as a seminarian, I was registered in the HY.
"As soon as I was out of the seminary, I never went back. And that was difficult, because of the tuition reduction, which I really needed, was tied to proof of attendance at the HY.
"Thank goodness, there was a very understanding mathematics teacher. He himself was a Nazi but an honest man, who said to me, 'Just go once and get the document so that we have it ...'
"When he saw that I simply didn't want to, he said, 'I understand, I'll take care of it,' and so I was able to stay free of it."
Prejudices
Father Lombardi also responded to some of the other criticisms, such as that the Pope mentioned "millions" of Jews and not "six million," or that he did not make reference to his own German roots.
"In the discourse at Yad Vashem," Father Lombardi noted, "he chose the theme of memory and developed the idea of a name."
The speech was not a treatise on the Holocaust, the spokesman added, and pointed to other discourses where the Pope has mentioned Germany and his past, and Nazism.
"He can't mention everything every time he speaks," Father Lombardi remarked.
"Moreover in the morning, he had already said that six million Jews died and that we can't forget, and that there is still anti-Semitism," the spokesman said, referring to the Holy Father's first address in Israel at the Tel Aviv airport, delivered just hours before his visit to the Yad Vashem.
Father Lombardi commented that Benedict XVI does not get offended when the press alters or takes issue with his words.
"He does not react superficially or immediately," the spokesman said. "He is very patient and is ready to listen to the others -- everyone can voice their ideas. It's true, he feels that he has not been understood, and I feel the same, but we know how the world is and how attitudes are. There is not always a willingness to understand well; sometimes there are prejudices and not everyone is open to an attitude of readiness to listen."
--- --- ---
On ZENIT's Web page:
Pope's address at Yad Vashem: www.zenit.org/article-25860?l=english
Pope's address upon arriving in Israel: www.zenit.org/article-25858?l=English
p>JERUSALEM, MAY 11, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the Yad Vashem memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.
* * *
"I will give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name ... I will give them an everlasting name which shall not be cut off" (Is 56:5).
This passage from the Book of the prophet Isaiah furnishes the two simple words which solemnly express the profound significance of this revered place: yad - "memorial"; shem - "name". I have come to stand in silence before this monument, erected to honor the memory of the millions of Jews killed in the horrific tragedy of the Shoah. They lost their lives, but they will never lose their names: these are indelibly etched in the hearts of their loved ones, their surviving fellow prisoners, and all those determined never to allow such an atrocity to disgrace mankind again. Most of all, their names are forever fixed in the memory of Almighty God.
One can rob a neighbor of possessions, opportunity or freedom. One can weave an insidious web of lies to convince others that certain groups are undeserving of respect. Yet, try as one might, one can never take away the name of a fellow human being.
Sacred Scripture teaches us the importance of names in conferring upon someone a unique mission or a special gift. God called Abram "Abraham" because he was to become the "father of many nations" (Gen17:5). Jacob was called "Israel" because he had "contended with God and man and prevailed" (Gen32:29). The names enshrined in this hallowed monument will forever hold a sacred place among the countless descendants of Abraham. Like his, their faith was tested. Like Jacob, they were immersed in the struggle to discern the designs of the Almighty. May the names of these victims never perish! May their suffering never be denied, belittled or forgotten! And may all people of goodwill remain vigilant in rooting out from the heart of man anything that could lead to tragedies such as this!
The Catholic Church, committed to the teachings of Jesus and intent on imitating his love for all people, feels deep compassion for the victims remembered here. Similarly, she draws close to all those who today are subjected to persecution on account of race, color, condition of life or religion - their sufferings are hers, and hers is their hope for justice. As Bishop of Rome and Successor of the Apostle Peter, I reaffirm - like my predecessors - that the Church is committed to praying and working tirelessly to ensure that hatred will never reign in the hearts of men again. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the God of peace (cf. Ps 85:9).
The Scriptures teach that it is our task to remind the world that this God lives, even though we sometimes find it difficult to grasp his mysterious and inscrutable ways. He has revealed himself and continues to work in human history. He alone governs the world with righteousness and judges all peoples with fairness (cf. Ps 9:9).
Gazing upon the faces reflected in the pool that lies in stillness within this memorial, one cannot help but recall how each of them bears a name. I can only imagine the joyful expectation of their parents as they anxiously awaited the birth of their children. What name shall we give this child? What is to become of him or her? Who could have imagined that they would be condemned to such a deplorable fate!
As we stand here in silence, their cry still echoes in our hearts. It is a cry raised against every act of injustice and violence. It is a perpetual reproach against the spilling of innocent blood. It is the cry of Abel rising from the earth to the Almighty. Professing our steadfast trust in God, we give voice to that cry using words from the Book of Lamentations which are full of significance for both Jews and Christians:
"The favors of the Lord are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent;
They are renewed each morning, so great is his faithfulness.
My portion is the Lord, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Good is the Lord to the one who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him;
It is good to hope in silence for the saving help of the Lord" (Lam 3:22-26).
My dear friends, I am deeply grateful to God and to you for the opportunity to stand here in silence: a silence to remember, a silence to pray, a silence to hope.
There is one reason and only one reason why the press does so much whining about the Pope.
He is not a liberal.
Agreed. It was painful, though, to watch the face of the pope when the announcer spoke of the "German" Nazis. That would suggest that all Germans were complicit, much like someone today suggesting that all Americans were complicit in the election of Obama.
Expect the media to lash out again after today's visit to the Palestinian camp. They have such a knack for isolating phrases, removing them from the context of the entire message.
Because he’s the Pope.
The kiss of death in this tour was the decision to visit the "Palestinian Occupied Territories", whatever that is.
What on Earth can you possibly say to a bunch of muslims that have a free pass to hate/murder/torture/behead/rape Christians and Jews alike.
And you would be right. Consider what he represents. The image of a man dressed in white flies in the face of a society that embraces contraception, abortion, gay marriage (i.e.legalized sodomy), euthanazia (mercy killing), graft, tax evasion ... and every other sin against the ten commandments. World governments are legalizing those sins in order to purge society from the need to repent. But as the Holy Father has often said, God's truth is written in the hearts of men. There is no escaping that, not even through legislation.
Looking upon Pope Benedict XVI, a pilgrim in the Holy Land, with no political agenda, and reading the attacks on him, I am reminded of our Lord's words to His disciples.
"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
John 15:18
And so it is for the Holy Father as he makes his pilgrimage to the holy sites of christianity, yet required to hear and make addresses to groups of warring individuals who hang on his every word. Nothing he says will ever be sufficient to most radical members of each group. In the end, it is all of humanity that suffers.
Very ,very sad, mr moderator. I have been here for a decade and have seen Pat Buchanan called a NAZI ten times a day. You well understood my satire and meaning and BECAUSE of it censored my post.
Breaking News From 1933: “Germans Pessimistic, Demand Strong Leadership” —Baltic Times (Riga, Latvia)
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This is so sad. The idea that he might have been a Hitler youth is so intoxicating to the left, they don’t want to consider anything else. The fact that it was MANDATORY ENROLLMENT only matters if it pertains to a prominent leftist. The left seems bent on grabbing any fragile straws to try to discredit him. Or at least distract from the good work he’s done. I remember people wondering what kind of Pope he would be and how would he try to fill Pope John Paul II’s giant shoes or carve his own niche. Now we are seeing, we’ve been seeing all along. And what a blessing he is to us.
Yes! Bears repeating. Certain prominent American Catholic politicians have started referring to 'smart Catholics making intelligent choices' (yes, I mean Biden among others) because they are trying to force the cafeteria to stay open and urge others to disregard Pope Benedict. It is indeed telling that he is so criticized. We are blessed to have him as our leader.
Absolute hogwash! Why don't you ask some of the many American fundamentalist Christians (like, for example, Rev. Hagee) who have visited Israel on a regular basis? They are cordially welcomed and treated well by the Israeli authorities and the general Israeli population.
Of course, he isn't a liberal on social issues. But he can be considered a liberal on international politics, where he appears to be accommodating to radical Islam.
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